A Crossroads
by ShadowTacticianVI
Summary: It was a crash at an intersection. A mother's last wish. But when all forces are trying to keep this wish unfulfilled, what's Watanuki Kimihiro supposed to do with young child, Sawada Tsunayoshi? Hitsuzen's at work and he has a chance to make a difference.
1. The Cut

**Posted**: November 5th, 2010  
**Updated:** October 2nd, 2011  
**Chapter Words:** 6306  
**Rating:** T (Language, violence, death, dark themes)  
**Full Summary:**It was a crash at an intersection. A mother and her last wish. But when all forces are doing their best to keep this wish unheard, unacted upon, and unfulfilled, what is Watanuki Kimihiro supposed to do with young child, Sawada Tsunayoshi? What brings Watanuki into the world of Mafia and Tsuna into a world of spirits, is never guzen...never coincidence. It can only be hitsuzen.

**Warnings: **Takes place before Katekyo Hitman Reborn and after Watanuki deals with the whole spider and eye mess, but before Himawari's episode. This story does not require a lot of knowledge of KHR I don't think, but you'll probably be confused if you haven't seen xxxHoLiC because it's going to be in Watanuki's POV. Might be a little OOC but I'll try not to. Will be AU later I think. I'm slow at updating.

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Katekyo Hitman Reborn or xxxHoLiC. Christmas is only a month away though…this would be the perfect time to, you know, *cough* pull some strings and maybe gift me with ownership…. Don't sue!**_

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**A Crossroads**

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**1. The Cut**

Nana nodded and smiled into the phone, absentmindedly twisting the cord around her finger like a schoolgirl. "Yes, Papa…Don't worry, we're perfectly safe here…mmhm… We should be alright. I need to make a trip out for groceries and that new microwave after the old one broke, but afterwards we're fine with staying Namimori for some time... Didn't I tell you about that? Tsu-kun tried to microwave an egg." The mother smiled happily at something her husband said, sending a glance at the little boy playing on the floor a few feet away. "Tsu-kun misses you too. He hasn't dared go outside near Miss Komatsu's cute puppy since you left!" With a final giggle, Nana finished her goodbyes and hung up the phone. "Stay safe, Papa."

The next few minutes were spent preparing for a day out. As she headed for the bedroom, Tsunayoshi's head lifted up and tilted in a question. "Keep playing, Tsu-kun. Mama will be back to help you get ready in a few minutes." Nana glanced at the wide windows across the room, streaked with rain and letting in only the slightest bit of light, what with the weather. "You're going to need a big, thick rain jacket today, aren't you?" After that rhetorical question, Nana disappeared into the doorway and Tsunayoshi blinked, before switching his attention back to the stuffed kitten. His mother got him the plush tabby, and he definitely preferred it over the dinosaur figure his papa bought.

Inside the bedroom, Nana set about getting ready. Humming as she checked her reflection in the mirror and grabbed a thick coat and scarf for herself, Nana quickly ducked back out after a few minutes and called over to her son. "Tsu-kun! Come over here; let's put Tora-chan away in your room and I'll grab your coat." Stumbling up, Tsunayoshi nodded and might've whispered an 'ok', but he was always so shy. Soon, his tiny hands were clutching the hem of her skirt and they walked towards his room, just across from his parents'. Once the bright blue coat was located and Nana had turned to find Tora-chan safely set on the bed-stand, she hustled about getting Tsunayoshi all geared up for the heavy rain.

"Hmm…" After another look out the window, Nana nodded decisively. "Let's get a scarf on you, the rain must be a sign of an early fall." With hands on hips, Nana looked down at her cute, bundled-up son. "Tsu-kun, where did you put away that green scarf you wore Monday? Hmm…two days ago."

For a moment Tsunayoshi looked utterly lost, but then recognition lit up in his eyes. It was soon followed by a flush and her son was staring at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Ano... They, ah…school…." While the boy looked absolutely adorable when embarrassed, Nana couldn't help a sigh.

"You left it at school again, huh?" At the Tsunayoshi's continued, shamed silence, Nana shook her head and gave a gentle smile. Smoothly pulling her own thick, orange scarf off, she knelt down. "How about you wear Mama's for the day then, 'kay? Don't take it off, so you won't lose it. Then, Mama will be proud of Tsu-kun." With tender hands, she wrapped the warm scarf around her son's neck, smiling at the mismatched blue and orange of his outfit.

As for Tsunayoshi, he was smiling again now and after a little prompt from Nana, he squeaked, "T-thank you, Mama! T-Tsu-kun definitely won't lose it!" Nana's eyes slid shut in their own, joyful smile.

"I believe you!"

Hand in hand, they stepped out into the downpour under a bright blue umbrella, picturesque tranquility and peace surrounding them. Walking quietly along the streets, Nana was content with the world. Gradually, the pair slowed as they neared the bus stop, watching the rain fall from the cloudy skies as they waited.

When their transportation arrived, bright lights reflecting off of the many puddles, Nana lead Tsunayoshi towards the opening doors. Patiently helping her son up the tall steps, she was the epitome of a kind and gentle mother, and they, an even more ideal family, had there been the reassuring presence of the father. With soft eyes that shone with hope and blissful smiles that held no secrets, there was no doubt that they had bright prospects in store for them.

Yet, with perfection like this, there were only two ways for it to end. It might conclude peacefully and satisfactorily with a happily-ever-after, and that was exactly what everyone on that bus saw in their future.

Or, on the flip side, it would terminate in a shattering of dreams, in a web of lies, and in the darkness of demise.

Their destinies hung in the balance, threatening to snap at any moment and break any or all existing ties. But those same broken threads held a chance of drifting down until they made contact with another tie, and creating a new bond that would've never been possible otherwise. The deciding factor on that fateful flip of chance, the weight that rested on those fine threads… was it guzen? Coincidence?

Or was it Hitsuzen?

…Inevitability.

* * *

Boots swiftly slapped down on the wet pavement, echoed by the pitter-patter of the rain on his umbrella. Watanuki Kimihiro was jogging through the drizzle, a light grimace on his pale face. Although he had just left Cross Private School and that meant Kimihiro got to see Himawari, his usual subsequent enthusiasm was absent. Of course, Himawari was the light of his day, the apple of his eye, and nothing could overshadow her happiness…

"But…"

Kimihiro paused just for a moment and angrily frowned. "That Doumeki just had to ruin everything! Now I'm late to Yuuko-san's and I have to run in the rain!" Grumbling, Kimihiro quickened his pace, eyes sliding nervously to the side. "And I hate it when it rains like this…"

It was an absolute downpour. Raindrops fell in a cacophony of noise, drenching anyone without the proper protection—and a simple hood wasn't enough. Kimihiro shivered as he passed under the shade of a large autumn cherry tree, tightening his grip on his own umbrella. Stormy days like this always seemed dark and foreboding, even more so for him.

Kimihiro tensed when he glimpsed a flitting shadow from the corner of his eyes. Yet, even as his head began to turn, his mind started screaming at him, "Don't look!"

Still, his eyes landed on the familiar, writhing, ethereal creature and he immediately regretted giving the being the slightest bit of attention. Like a hound locked onto the slightest bit of fear, the wraith had captured his attention, if only for a moment, and now trailed behind the jogging teenager.

Fists clenched and footsteps hurried. _'Great. Just great.' _Now, not only was he late, running in the rain, and in a bad mood, but he had run into the very thing he had been dreading.

A spirit.

Kimihiro was gradually speeding up, hoping he wouldn't do something stupid like slipping and falling. As if fate meant to mock his thoughts, he splashed into a puddle.

"…" Ignoring his now freezing feet, Kimihiro put in an extra burst of speed when he recognized the turn that would lead onto Yuuko's property. The chasing spirit behind him seemed to grow even larger and more intimidating, as if also sensing his hope and daring to crush it.

Kimihiro leapt off the sidewalk and ran across the empty street, once again glad for the lack of other residents in the area. Racing through the puddles carelessly since he was already wet, Watanuki allowed himself a small grin as he neared the wooden fence that marked Yuuko's property. He wasn't certain on the details, but malicious spirits always disappeared once he passed onto Yuuko's land. He was under the impression it was the work of powerful holy wards like the ones that surrounded Doumeki's temple storeroom.

But in spite of his rising optimism, his pursuer was steadily gaining. Just feet away from his sanctuary, Kimihiro let out a yelp when he felt the choking, smothering grip of the supernatural creature wrapped around his left leg. Terror forced the air out of his lungs, and Kimihiro urgently thrust his body forward, hand outstretched towards the wooden planks. His umbrella fell to the ground, hands strictly focused on reaching the boundary. Grasping through the air, Kimihiro gritted his teeth against the clawing, wanting sensation of the clutch on his leg.

Tiredly, Kimihiro thought, _'This is happening _way_ too often. Well,' _he rolled his eyes as he leaned forward a bit more, _'at least that means it'd be really pathetic if I died here.'_ With that final, dearly encouraging thought, Kimihiro fell forward to the ground and slammed his hand on the fence. Nostalgically, Kimihiro watched the specter shrink and then ultimately evaporate like mist. He could remember this same scene with startling clarity; less than a year ago, he had been in this same position and met Ichihara Yuuko, thereby altering his life forever.

After a few moments, the water began to seep into his uniform and Kimihiro stirred back into lucidity. He rapidly sat up, pulling a face at his mud covered hands. _'It's too bad today wasn't sunny like that day.'_ Ignoring the filth, he grabbed his dirt-smeared umbrella and hurried onto the gravel path that led to Yuuko's shop. It was quite a sight; to those that could see it that is. Surrounded on three sides by large, multi-story buildings, his manager's store and home was small and traditional, lending an eerie sense of mystery to the area.

Thinking of all this brought a muted smile to Kimihiro's lips. He shook his head as he entered the door, calling out, "Hello! I'm here!"

When no hung-over groan or overenthusiastic shout greeted him, he paused, suddenly worried. _'Did something happen?' _The sound of pounding footsteps however, eased his worries.

"Watanuki!" Two joyous voices shouted out simultaneously. Barreling down the hallway were two eccentrically dressed girls. One had short, pink hair and an angel themed outfit. The other, in contrast, had lengthy blue hair and dressed in dark attire with devil wings. Even though he was double their height, Kimihiro still swayed dangerously when both leapt and hugged him in glee. "Yay! Watanuki is here! Watanuki is here!"

"Ahh! Why are you girls jumping on me? Oh and look now, Maru, Moro! Now I've got you all dirty." Kimihiro gently pried the girls off, belying his griping and groaning. Across the corner, a black, rabbit like creature popped up as well.

"Mokona surprises Watanuki! Mokona defeats all!" With that declaration, Mokona bounced up and smacked Kimihiro across the back of his head, eliciting a shout followed by an angry rant. As soon as the student hurriedly sent Maru and Moro off to the baths and kicked off his shoes, Kimihiro began chasing after the hyperactive creature, his volatile personality rearing its head.

As Kimihiro's long legs allowed him to gradually catch up to Mokona, the mokona visibly became nervous. "Ahh…Watanuki…you can stop now, you know!"

"I will most definitely not stop, you black manju-bun!" came the exasperated reply.

Sweat gathered at Mokona's brow. As he twisted around the hallway, hand sliding along the wall, Yuuko's reminder popped into Mokona's mind. "Ah! Watanuki! If you're anymore late, Yuuko will be annoyed! Furious!"

At that, Kimihiro hesitated. Yuuko was his employer and… _'Wait, that's right. Where is she?' _Slowing down, Kimihiro glanced around, but he couldn't spot the lazy woman in any of the nearby rooms.

Mokona grinned and twirled around. Jumping on his shoulder, Mokona felt rewarded when Kimihiro's only reaction was a slight twitch. "Yup! If you're any later, Yuuko will add years to your payment! You'll never leave Yuuko's employment!"

Kimihiro's eyebrow twitched again and he had to forcefully restrain himself. "Don't test me like that when you know I already stopped! Anyway, where is Yuuko and what am I late to?"

"Namimori Shopping Center! Late to a meeting!" His answer came in the chant of Maru and Moro, now redressed in clean versions of the same outfits. He turned to find them beaming, holding a note between the two of them.

Kimihiro sighed. He'd been in Yuuko's service long enough now to know the drill. "Alright, let me see the note." At Mokona's soft snickers, he immediately felt his hair rise and suspiciously eyed the note. It _was _by Yuuko, right?

Thankfully, the note seemed quite normal once he unfolded it and read—squinted—through the witch's cursive script.

.

_Go to the Namimori Shopping Center on 26__th__ Ave_

_next to the yummy western bakery. I'll be waiting and_

_if you're not there by 18:00, I'm adding to your debt. _

_~Yuuko_

_P.S. Bring sake, Watanuki! You'll need it~~~_

_. _

Kimihiro frowned, a steadily rising sense of disbelief in him. "Maru, Moro, what time is it right now?" He couldn't be quite certain how much time he wasted getting away from that spirit, but he had a good idea.

"Mmm…" After running to the kitchen, the closest room with a clock on the wall, they ran back, answering as they went. "16:56! It's almost 17:00!" At this point, Mokona was just laughing unrestrainedly and Kimihiro had an irresistible urge to yell at Yuuko right then and there.

"17:00 already? Dang it, how does Yuuko-san expect me to get all the way to Namimori in less than an hour, let alone figure out where the 26th Ave is?" His voice was high-pitched and just threatening to go on another rant. Irritated, he moved to throw the paper away, until he caught sight of another note written on the back.

_. _

_That means that if you waste time dancing in the rain,_

_you'll only have an hour to get here. Shame on you, Watanuki._

_. _

"Argh! I was NOT dancing in the rain!" He slammed the note into the garbage before bad luck decided to produce another memo from Yuuko.

Even as Maru and Moro leaned in towards each other and started giggling, "Watanuki's moving funny! Watanuki's weird!" Mokona began to suggest conspiratorially,

"Let's slow Watanuki down even more! Then Yuuko will get really mad at him and make him cook something like…_takenoko gohan_, tonight!" Mokona grinned at the idea of Kimihiro running around trying to find bamboo shoots in this season.

"Yay! Let's eat _takenoko gohan_ tonight!"

"NO!"

* * *

It was nearing an hour later when Kimihiro finally got off the train at Namimori station, both relieved and outright surprised that the train even had a stop in such a small town. Then again, Namimori didn't seem like the most normal of towns. While small, quiet, and fairly unknown, Namimori had a history of Yakuza at one point and more than a couple odd stories. With that in mind, Kimihiro sincerely hoped it didn't mean Namimori was any more supernaturally inclined than any other town.

As he walked through the rainy streets, clean umbrella in hand and a bottle of _sake_ in his bag, Kimihiro noted the quiet of the town. On any other day, he was sure, the town would feel positively peaceful and welcoming. But what with his precious encounter with the spirit and general discontent with the day, Kimihiro simply felt uneasy. If only Yuuko had stayed at the store, he would've been happy with acknowledging the malicious spirit as the trouble the gloomy day had been foretelling, but _no_, now he was walking through unfamiliar Namimori and he just couldn't calm down.

Because something felt decidedly off.

Still, Yuuko was around here somewhere, and as much as he'd like to deny it, Yuuko always seemed to know everything. If she was meeting a client here, or simply felt like calling Kimihiro over, well, there was probably a reason, right? …_Probably, right?_

Instead of a breath of relief when Kimihiro caught sight of 20th Ave, his unease grew until his fingers were gripping the handle of his umbrella so tightly that they were stark white. With breaths coming out in mists, the teenager continued on until he finally came at 26th Ave, by now surrounded by a variety of brightly lit stores and departments. Squinting through his glasses, Kimihiro glanced in both directions before he decided to wander down right until he caught sight of the so-called 'yummy bakery'.

He passed by stores closed down in the rain, abandoned outdoor tables, and many a pedestrians hurrying to get out of the drizzle and into their warm homes. He couldn't help a shiver and a spike of envy, wishing he could be warming up right now in Yuuko's store, or perhaps his own apartment. At least he had an opportunity to change out of his wet clothes. Still, his employer was always so imperious, or rather, just bossy. Making him go out into the sticks on such a terrible day as this.

Kimihiro noticed more cars and pedestrians appearing along the streets than earlier, most likely because this seemed to be a large shopping district and it was nearing 18:00; a prime time for local stores to close early, if they didn't want to walk home in the drenching, dark night. Kimihiro seemed to attract a few looks, much to his discomfort. Whether it was because Namimori was such a small town that they recognized strangers, or more likely, simply because of Kimihiro's unfamiliar school uniform, it didn't matter. The glances made Kimihiro duck his head and walk faster, either way.

He never really liked attention, but why would he? He had lived a good deal of his life in solitude with the only attention he ever grabbed being the negative kind because of his unnatural perception of the world.

After five more minutes of walking along 26th, Kimihiro found himself losing patience. Quickly ducking into a nearby clothing store and folding his umbrella, he checked the time. With a grimace, he read 17:54. The boy nervously ran a hand through his ebony hair, wishing Yuuko had been more precise with her directions if she had wanted him to be on time.

Excusing himself to the nearby cashier, Kimihiro spun back around and jogged out of the story, keen blue eyes searching for a western styled bakery. He opened his umbrella back up, blocking his view for a moment. When it passed and his gaze landed on a rough, shady character not a few steps in front of him, Kimihiro's eyes widened. Attempting to avoid a collision, he paused and stepped back, but the stranger wasn't so quick. It was just a bump, but one Kimihiro immediately set to apologizing for.

"I'm very sorry, please excu…e-excuse me!" The student instantly bowed his head, but as he spoke, his eyes caught sight of a chilling glint of light. Voice faltering, Kimihiro did his best not to react to the sight of a gun hidden behind the other's coat. It wouldn't have been noticeable if he hadn't been so close or perhaps bowing, but as surreal as the situation seemed, Kimihiro couldn't kid himself.

Pulling himself back up, ramrod straight, Kimihiro tried to calmly finish the encounter so that he could walk away. There was no telling whether Kimihiro's speculations about the man were over presumptuous. Kimihiro worked on convincing himself. _'Maybe he was an undercover officer with a permit?'_ He glanced at the cold, hardened face that stared back. His heart was pumping so hard, so fast, that Kimihiro couldn't believe that no one had commented yet.

The gruff young man muttered, "It's fine; excuse me," and turned away, no doubt running off to do… Kimihiro gulped and tried not to think of it. With luck, the incident could be brushed under the rug and forgotten. Yet…Kimihiro hesitated. What if that _was _a criminal? If his silence led to someone else's death… Kimihiro bit his lip, and stepped forward.

Before Kimihiro could take any action, the woman next to him; that is, an elderly lady with apparently sharp eyes, seemed to notice the same thing as Kimihiro. Whether drawn to the gun-wielding man due to his odd dress or Kimihiro's stuttering, she had seen the gun and held none of the qualms Kimihiro possessed. Starting with her own stammer, then morphing into a screech, she shouted, "Tha-He has a gun! That foreign man!"

'_Shit.' _Judging by the alarmed look on the dubious man's face, he was thinking the same thing. Kimihiro tried to stay calm as the man—fast as lightning—spun around and ran off in the direction Kimihiro had originally been heading. The lady's scream had attracted numerous spectators and a few of them started panicking on their own, clearly recognizing the gunman as no law enforcer. Most of it was just wary and anxious mutterings as most of the crowd hastily backed away from the escapee, while some looked foolish enough to try and pick a fight.

Then again, Kimihiro probably looked like one of those reckless idiots right now. Without warning, he started chasing after the foreign-looking man, doing his best to stay inconspicuous. He was starting to sweat from the adrenaline of the situation, his mind going a mile a minute—most of it being self-berates or agitated predictions on the possible situations that could sprout up next. Still, he managed to maneuver past the disconcerted witnesses into the direction of the guy.

As the student slipped past one of the heftier bystanders, he skidded to a stop upon reaching a sizable intersection. Previously hidden away by the crowds, the crossroad seemed far busier that all the others. In the back of his mind, Kimihiro received the impression that it was a connection of all the most active and populated streets. His eyes quickly roved past various shops; an ice cream station, a Chinese restaurant, and a women's boutique were amongst them, but he could not catch sight of his target. Somehow, the stranger had found a way to blend in with an oblivious mob, and it didn't help that cars were constantly passing without pause.

Turning around, Kimihiro tried to return to the crosswalk that he had passed, and in the process, nearly tripped over a shop sign set up outside. The surprise stopped his heart for a moment and Kimihiro took deep breaths—he really was too tense. Then the store's specialty caught his eye and he lost all notion of calm.

It was bakery shop. Western.

He instantly twisted around, eyes searching for a tall, beautiful and conceited woman. He lunged forward through the crowds, muttering apologies as he tried to search for an answer to all the chaos. Yuuko was the one that called him here; he would not be surprised if this was all her doing. Catching a flash of light, he turned around with a muted feeling of dread. He recognized it as the same feeling he got when confronted with a particularly malicious spirit, but it wasn't quite the same. What was happening…?

His eyes searched for the source of this unease, but a bus slid up the street at that moment, and he couldn't see past it. The foreboding sensation spiked, sending a chill down Kimihiro's spine.

All of a sudden, his blue eyes shot to the left of the bus where a small, sleek black car was driving down the same road, towards the same intersection. The bus was slowing down in front of the red light, four lines of cars running back and forth in front of it. The black vehicle did not slow.

Kimihiro dazedly watched the cars drive past along the traffic circle, faces passing through his memory, not meant to stick. Yet, years later, he would be able to recall some of those carefree faces, blithely looking forward to another day and time. There were families, children, students, workers, and mothers.

But unlike the various other witnesses and grievers that would recall that day and describe their faces, the sounds, and the tears, Kimihiro's first illustration of the event would probably be on the shining, vivid red stop light, hanging right across from the bus.

Kimihiro never saw it turn green that day.

Under the ominous red glow, the pitch-black car charged towards the 26th Ave intersection and collided into the bus without a second's pause. An explosion of sound reverberated in the juncture; a cacophonous medley of shattering glass, screeching metal and terrified screams.

Witnesses shouted and scrambled away, some struck by shrapnel and flying glass. Kimihiro couldn't tear his gaze away, and thus he watched petrified as the bus was slammed forward into traffic, right in the middle of the busy intersection. He saw it happen before it actually did. Something between a horrified inference and a slowed down tragedy played in front of Kimihiro's eyes as cars tried to break or twist around the bus, sent forward from the violent impact.

It was a disaster of catastrophic proportions and one that Kimihiro would never be able to forget. Two more vehicles crashed directly into the disfigured bus while numerous slammed into other vehicles. His mouth dried as he watched the scene, snapping back to reality when he was nearly shoved to the ground.

Kimihiro stepped back, self-preservation telling him to back away or else risk getting run over. But past the background of shouting, wreckage and ruin, the scene itself was slowing down into the cold stagnancy that followed calamity. All the cars were stopped and people were rushing out, some calling the emergency numbers.

Then in the after wake of that jarring collision, the mangled bus turned over onto its side, falling onto the edge of another car before sliding onto the ground with clamor of noise. Kimihiro processed the motion rapidly, everything seeming to have happened so long ago, and yet, so slowly, so recent and raw.

People were crying and bleeding and while so many people called for help and sat next to their neighbors and friends, Kimihiro stood outside and did not know what to do. He could not hear the ambulance and in a show of strength, many of witnesses had gathered their courage and with the support of the rest, began treating and searching for the victims; each one undoubtedly someone that they had once been to school with, or passed in the grocery. Kimihiro hesitantly stepped forward; he wanted to help, but…

Then he spotted a scrabbled movement from inside the back end of the bus and swung his head that way. A survivor? He opened his mouth to shout or alert someone, and then froze as the figure stepped through the walls of the bus like they weren't there. Kimihiro's mouth snapped shut. A ghost.

The realization hit him like a cabinet of bricks. His stomach rebelled and Kimihiro dropped to his knees and threw up.

He was shaking. He was shaking so bad he could feel his teeth chatter even though he felt like he was burning up and he had to sit back because his arms couldn't support him on their own. His umbrella laid abandoned to the side and his hair stuck to his head, from both rain and sweat. When another shape formed in the cracked window of the bus, Kimihiro clenched his eyes shut and bowed his head, but then the shape _cried_.

Kimihiro held his breath.

There wasn't any doubt. The shape...the person was saying something. Was it actually…? Kimihiro unsteadily glanced around, but everyone else was occupied in one way or another. Hurriedly turning away from the devastation around him, Kimihiro stared back at the bus. If no one else could see or hear it, then it was undoubtedly a spirit. But if it was just luck…just bad luck that the backside of the bus was so utterly _mangled_ that it was unbelievable that anyone could have survived….that no one checked, or perhaps no one could check…

Kimihiro inhaled erratically, then pulled himself up using the wall of the bakery store, leaving his bag and umbrella on the ground. He shakily walked towards the bus, morbidly/seriously hoping that a fire wouldn't start. They didn't need any more disasters.

He sidestepped victims and shrapnel, careful not to set his hand on anything sharp or bloody.

When he was feet away from the bus, an almost subdued sense of horror echoed in him. The bus truly was mangled beyond repair.

Stepping cautiously up, Kimihiro jumped when he saw the movement again. This time, he located it in the form of a weak hand that continuously hit the glass, trying to gain attention. Kimihiro held his breath for a moment and stared, then leapt into movement. He couldn't let someone simply die in there if he could make a difference.

Kimihiro turned and yelled for help, only gaining a few grim glances. Everyone was preoccupied with his or her own tragedies, or perhaps they did not believe the passengers truly had any chance of surviving. As crushed and beaten as the bus was… _'It's idiotic to think that _everyone _died…right…?' _Kimihiro's hopes sank. But not everyone turned away. Some knew the schedules of their friends and family, and couldn't deny that they were on that bus at that time.

"P-Pl…" Kimihiro coughed, his voice cracked and shaking, the taste of bile still present. "Please help. Someone's still in there—alive!" He gestured towards the hand, still occasionally hitting the glass in a weak attempt to gain attention. Although scratched and most likely bruised, it looked small and petite, like a child's or a young woman's. For some reason, Kimihiro could no longer hear it call out or say anything.

Nonetheless, the people around him looked shocked and then determined. Kimihiro felt a wave of relief. Not just because this handful of scratched and tired people offered their assistance, but because it proved that the hand truly did belong to a human being and not a spiteful spirit intent on trickery.

They shouted, trying to speak to the person trapped inside under debris but victim either didn't hear or couldn't differentiate them from the rest of the noise in the area. Smashing through all the windows wouldn't work if the inside was clogged with wreckage and the emergency exits wouldn't open or were too damaged. Whenever the arm fell tired and stopped moving for a while, Kimihiro increasingly panicked. The group muttered and tried various strategies, but it would be a step backwards if they carelessly injured themselves in a hopeless rescue attempt.

There was little Kimihiro could offer in help. While Kimihiro wasn't exceedingly weak, he was nothing in comparison to a lump of twisted metal. If grown men couldn't make a difference, what could he do in this condition?

But he hated sitting around like this when someone was hurt.

Tense minutes passed and people were growing tremendously worried as sirens still didn't ring. Something else was wrong. They were all a sorry sight, drowned in the rain, surrounded by tears, and blood washing away.

Kimihiro bit his lip, trying to think over their options again. Was there some way to get into the bus that they were overlooking? He was startled out of his thought by a hand on his shoulder and looked up at one of the men that agreed to try to find a way into the bus. He looked bleak.

"I'm sorry; I know you were the one that called for help over here. But we can't see a way into the bus. We're going to have to wait for the emergency pros, and help those that we _can _save at the moment." The man turned and Kimihiro could see others already heading away, if sending the bus a few worried looks.

"No," the word slipped out of his mouth. But he understood in his own way.

The man looked sympathetic, yet all too weary. "I'm sorry, kid, if you have someone in there that you know. However…" The worn man turned towards another crash on the other side of the road, where the wounded were already pulled out and looked over. "…we do too. You should get out of here or at least stand back, kid; you're still young and you have a life to live." The man left after that concerned suggestion, clasping the student's shoulder for a second, before letting go.

Kimihiro shook and turned back towards the bus, and this time, he didn't hesitate.

Climbing the bus the same way some of the men had earlier, he found the grooves in the metals and did his best not to slip because of the rain. Eventually, Kimihiro settled on the top of the bus, drawing the attention of some observers. Nonetheless, he quickly found a broken window and slowly sidled over in a half crawl, half walk. He couldn't just leave, not when every second might be ticking away an innocent's life. That person down there probably thought no one noticed them, and that _they would be left to die alone_. At that thought, Kimihiro's expression tightened and his resolution locked in place.

Memories rose up, the sound of rushing currents and drowning rain—just like today's—washing out the rest of the noise. Damp fur, cold in his hands and overwhelming sense of… "_...I…will also die like this, won't I? All alone…" _Kimihiro sucked in a breath and shook his head, ignoring those words spoken more than a year ago. He had a crisis to focus on.

When he reached the empty window, bordered by broken glass, another memory popped up. _Broken glass littering the floor and the scent of blood to keep him awake, set on his goal._ Kimihiro brushed the damp hair out of his eyes and studied the window. He avoided as much glass as he could, but inevitably tore his uniform and winced at numerous scratches when he lowered himself through the small window and fell through into the bus. Someone outside shouted at that moment, but whether it was for the irresponsible teenager squeezing into the bus or something else entirely, Kimihiro wasn't going to stop.

Because the bus was on its side, Kimihiro fell all the way to window on the opposite wall. He clumsily attempted to catch himself along a seat or post, but he only managed to smack his head on a metal pole. He ended up landing on something relatively soft and moist. Holding his breath, Kimihiro did not look.

He did not want to see the bodies, immobile and silent, faces pulled into mockingly frozen expressions of horror and surprise. He did not want to see corpses, still and peaceful like they were merely sleeping. After all, Kimihiro could not pretend they were mere mannequins like he did weeks before because Watanuki Kimihiro wasn't as innocent as he used to be, weeks ago. He wasn't as innocent as he used to be one hour ago.

So Kimihiro opened the eyes that he didn't even realize he had closed and looked around in the murky darkness of the transit. He was glad for the darkness, because then the rain looked just as dark as the blood. But he could recognize the shape of bodies in the glow of the streetlights. It was not very packed bus—nowhere near the density he was used to—but it was not empty. Kimihiro could not wait for this horrible day to end, for the misfortune to just fall away under a sunny sky of light. When he took a closer look though, he could see that many of the injured were still breathing. It was a small reprieve.

Then, Kimihiro's eyes caught a motion and he carefully turned his head, prepared for both spirits and ghosts.

_Thud. Pham. _When he saw a tired fist hitting the window, his eyes followed the arm to pile of debris that buried it in place. Cautiously, Kimihiro drew closer, feeling sick every time he accidentally or simply couldn't avoid stepping on bodies—dead or alive. He had to routinely climb over seats and avoid smashed in sides and metal supports. He passed more than a few people he thought were still alive, if injured, but no one else was conscious.

When he was no more than a two seats away from the pile of debris, Kimihiro finally caught sight of the body that the arm belonged to. Tired, scared, and most of all, _resigned_ brown eyes locked onto him, a soft, pleading whisper following. "Please…."

With sorrowful blue and gold eyes, Kimihiro took in the sight in front of him.

Collapsed under the window and buried under broken seats and metal remains was a young woman with an undeterminable length of brown hair. One arm was pinned to the wall by twisted and collapsed luggage rails, the hand set against the cracked glass. The other arm was pulling something small close to her body, protecting its head of brown hair. It did not appear to be moving.

"…please…" Because of her position, Kimihiro knew there was no way he could get the woman out on his own, but the other one… "…please…get my son out of here…"

Desperate brown eyes stared up at Kimihiro as she weakly turned the child in her hold towards Kimihiro. He was covered in a colorful rain-jacket with a bright, eye-catching orange scarf. The peaceful expression the tiny boy wore would have given him the appearance of being untouched, save for the clotted stain of blood that peeked out under his bangs.

"I'll gladly die…lose everything… he just…!" She coughed and Kimihiro moved forward, alarmed. "The only thing…"

"Please take Tsunayoshi… and keep him safe…don't let him die, he can't die!"

Sawada Nana lifted her head and looked Kimihiro straight in the eye with an unbelievable amount of ferocity. "If that can happen…if he can live his life and be happy…"

"That's my only wish."

* * *

**EDIT (10.2.11):** preschool - school. Tsuna - Tsunayoshi. Japanese words are italicized. Sorry if you got an alert.

**A/N: **It is a very nice feeling, writing 2000 words in one session. But well, more than once I've gotten the feeling that the chapter's a bit too gory…cough…At the time I'm writing this author's note, I haven't yet edited it, but don't worry, by the time YOU'RE read this, the chapter's been edited. So it's probably less gory than it was when I was writing this note. If that makes sense. Well, I was/am writing well into midnight so that's my excuse for bad quality writing.

Anyway, I'm doing this for NaNoWriMo, so hopefully faster updates than usual, if, worse quality. Vice and Versa is put on hold since it is more of a series of drabbles and I'll work on it in December, I promise!

So, this will be the longest author's note for the duration of this story hopefully, since I have a lot to say. This chapter turned out a lot gorier than I expected so uh, it shouldn't be any worse in the future… the story focuses on Tsuna and Watanuki's relationship. I call Watanuki 'Kimihiro' since Tsuna will call him that later and it's kind of weird to refer to the main character by last name. When I say Japanese names, it's lastname firstname. The emergency people are late on purpose. I have never been in an accident and I'm slightly sheltered, so things may be off. **Please offer constructive criticism and review! I'd much appreciate it as writing is not my best strength.** Hmm, anything else… I originally planned on a small scale car accident and Kimihiro simply being the first one to show up next to Nana, and then having Yuuko show up in this chapter. It did not happen. Especially when I realized Nana doesn't own a car. Bleh. Hmm….at this point I should have also edited in more rain references because the first time around when I wrote this chapter, I forgot it was raining. Oh and Yuuko's note had a cool font before I uploaded it to fanfiction . net… I'll post a link to a picture of it on my profile later.

All in all, hope you enjoyed reading and review your thoughts! Expect next chapter within a week, hopefully. Next chapter will be…about…uhm…. News report on the accident, Tsuna's situation, and Yuuko's thoughts. Doumeki might show up. Maybe.

**-ShadowTacticianVI**

P.S. Oh! I forgot the _sake_ Kimihiro is supposed to bring…eh…at this point, it should be edited in. Is it fun or confusing to read about all the mistakes I made the first time around before I edited it and posted it for you lovely readers?


	2. Chasms Apart

**Posted:** November 19th, 2010  
**Updated:** October 2nd, 2011  
**Chapter Words:** 7330  
**Rating:** T (Language, violence, death, dark themes)  
**Full Summary:**It was a crash at an intersection. A mother and her last wish. But when all forces are doing their best to keep this wish unheard, unacted upon, and unfulfilled, what is Watanuki Kimihiro supposed to do with young child, Sawada Tsunayoshi? What brings Watanuki into the world of Mafia and Tsuna into a world of spirits, is never guzen...never coincidence. It can only be hitsuzen.

**Warnings:**Takes place before Katekyo Hitman Reborn and after Watanuki deals with the whole spider and eye mess, but before Himawari's episode. This story does not require a lot of knowledge of KHR I don't think, but you'll probably be confused if you haven't seen xxxHoLiC because it's going to be in Watanuki's POV. Might be a little OOC but I'll try not to. Will be AU later I think. I'm slow at updating.

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Katekyo Hitman Reborn or xxxHoLiC. Christmas is only a month away though…this would be the perfect time to, you know, *cough* pull some strings and maybe gift me with ownership…. Don't sue!**

* * *

**.**

**.**

**A Crossroads**

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**2. Chasms Apart**

With a grim face, Timoteo lifted his hand off the ice covered man, torch-light glinting off the jagged spikes of ice in a deceptively vivid manner. Face weary with all his years of age and more, Vongola Nono surveyed his adopted son in silence, man frozen in a moment of furious anger and hatred. Even as shouts and yells echoed from afar, the coup still going strong and oblivious to their leader's status, he remained still and quiet.

Finally, when he heard a scuffle take place close behind him, he turned around to see his lightning guardian with a severe expression, darkly holding a sword to Squalo Superbi's neck.

"Stand down, Ganauche. Squalo should be aware that there's no more sense in this rebellion with Xanxus down." The words felt cold and harsh and even as his son's rain guardian looked stricken, Timoteo felt his own heart crack and weep.

The next statement was aimed at his silent mist guardian, who had entered without anyone else's notice. "Spread the word that Xanxus has been overwhelmed. Make certain the Varia understands that if they offer anymore resistance, both Xanxus and them will face worse than a little frost." Timoteo watched as he nodded in acquiesce and hurried off.

Returning his attention to his lightning guardian, he coldly looked down on young, shaking assassin. Squalo was young, but there was no doubt that he was extremely talented with a sword; a genius at that. Timoteo's face clouded. The idea that his son would betray him… he shouldn't have been so surprised. But Varia quality assassins _against_ his Vongola Family were dangerous, as evidenced by the casualties that day. "Try to capture the Varia alive; for now, keep them separated, guarded, and restrained; that includes Xanxus. After things have calmed down and the Family can present a united front, we'll decide what to do with the rest of them."

"Will do." Timoteo watched distractedly as Ganauche secured Squalo and sent his highest quality subordinates to watch over the assassin in a secure facility. Afterwards, the guardian ran out and notified the rest of his men of the Ninth's orders.

Timoteo shook his head sadly. For now, the rest of his family needed him as the Vongola Nono. Later, he could be the grieving father.

With that, Timoteo took a step forward, and then walked out of the grand hall where Xanxus had confronted him. Ordering the doors to be shut, Timoteo walked on, listening closely as the doors slid, and then clicked close. Left behind was nothing, but his enraged son, frozen in an ice that would never melt.

It was hours before the turmoil ended and all rebels were captured or detained. His orders had passed quickly through the chain of command, so it shouldn't have taken so long, but that wasn't the case. Some group somewhere might have misunderstood the orders, twisted like a childish game of Telephone, but personally, Timoteo thought it stunk of foul play. The dread in the pit of his stomach only increased when he attempted to contact the CEDEF who had shown up as soon as they heard of the attempted coup d'état, offering much assistance.

Iemitsu had been grim, but that wasn't unexpected. As much as Timoteo loved his son, he had been, admittedly, foolish in dismissing his advisor's concerns over Xanxus's growing ruthlessness.

But now, despite the CEDEF's expert training and experience, they weren't returning any calls. When they tried to connect to the standard Vongola radio, or even the private one Timoteo had set up with Iemitsu, they only received static.

The Ninth turned to his storm guardian with a grave face. "Go arrange for a group to check out the CEDEF's headquarters. It's possible that they returned there, or perhaps there's some clues as to their whereabouts in their base." Coyote gave a short reply then began to turn away, but then Timoteo stopped him. "Ah, wait. Before that, contact Ganauche again. At this point, his group should be finishing up with the Varia members. Since they're already out and about, see if they can't keep an eye out for the CEDEF."

Timoteo's eyes clouded. "I have a bad feeling that something's happened to Iemitsu."

There was a crash and then shocked, stunned shouts. "What's going on?" Timoteo demanded as his guardian spun towards the door with a gun aimed at the entrance. They couldn't be certain that there weren't still some rogue mafia wandering around.

The door knob twisted and the finger on the trigger tightened, before another shout came from outside. "What are you doing, idiot? Do you want to get killed? Vongola Nono, we apologize for the disturbance; we have urgent news from the CEDEF! May we enter?"

Timoteo outwardly relaxed, but neither he nor his guardian let their guard down. That was a fast way to get killed in their business. "Enter!" Coyote lowered his gun, but kept his hand on the trigger. When the familiar faces of their intelligence department entered, Timoteo gave a smile, however strained. "You said CEDEF finally replied? What do they have to say?"

The group gave a few side glances, but his guardian quickly barked, "Don't keep Vongola Nono waiting!" All of their nerves were strained, and if the CEDEF had kept radio silence for so long, there must have been some reason.

Quickly, startled, the captain of their group stepped forward and gave a hurried salute. "Turmeric called five minutes ago—that is, 22:39—and he reports that Iemitsu is in critical condition and they request backup immediately in the back garden sector of the courtyard!"

"What?" Coyote growled. He had no particular relationship to Iemitsu, young leader of CEDEF, but the man was the external advisor of the Vongola Boss and there was no way he could be taken down so easily.

Timoteo on the other hand, simply felt even worse. "I see, Coyote, contact Ganauche again and direct them to the garden with all speed!" Coyote paused hesitant, then Timoteo snapped, "Now, Coyote!"

"Yes, Nono!" He turned, coat flapping in his wake as he hurried away, hand on his radio set.

Timoteo turned back to the captain who was attempting to back away and stopped him with a stern voice. "Explain. What else did Iemitsu's subordinate say about his condition?"

The dark haired man gulped before he took a deep breath and dug through his sharp memory. "They say Iemitsu received multiple gun shots from a sniper during the ebb of the Varia's rebellion and that the CEDEF has maintained radio silence until they managed to get to a secure area where they believed they could not be easily stumbled upon. Currently, he has four subordinates with him, one in-training."

At that, Timoteo inwardly flinched, recognizing the action for its meaning and logic. A sniper in the very middle of Vongola Headquarters—the most reasonable explanation was that it came from the Varia, a league of assassins. Yet, while a coup was going on and chaos was abound, there was no true way to determine whether or not another member was trustworthy. Whether with the Varia or not, the sniper could be considered a member of the Vongola.

"They are providing Iemitsu with first aid but they said that Iemitsu had already sustained some injuries and has at this point lost consciousness." The man finished, sending his boss a nervously expecting voice.

"Yes, you are all dismissed. Report immediately should they send any more information. Call the medical wing and have them send the head doctor to my office along with all resources necessary to treat the external advisor of his wounds." Timoteo leveled the nerve-wracked with a stern glance, feeling a little sorry for the group, running everywhere in such rush in order to stay atop of the various groups spread out around the manor. But he needed this to be done precisely and accurately.

"Understood, Boss!" They nodded and swiftly stepped out of his office, leaving Timoteo alone.

He stood still for a few moments, wanting to just sit down and wake up to a normal day, but his Family came first. He exhaled, and with that, his shoulders sank. Timoteo closed his eyes and a million thoughts ran through his head, each with its own value and meaning. Then, he tensed and opened his eyes just in time to see the door open to his mist guardian, Bouche.

The boss nodded to his guardian with a slow smile, a familiar tease coming out his mouth. "You should learn to knock; Coyote was here earlier and about ready to blast off the poor intelligence trainee when he almost ran in."

"So he was here earlier?"

"Yes," Timoteo gestured towards the door Bouche had entered through. "He left a few minutes ago to contact Ganauche."

His guardian nodded. "About the external advisor?"

Timoteo did not reply at first. "Did you know that earlier? When we were searching for Iemitsu?"

Bouche tilted his head slightly and gave the slightest smile, "No, I was just outside while Intelligence was receiving the message. If we don't want leaks, someone should teach them better security and subtlety."

Timoteo smiled in returned, but he could not deny that for a moment he had been wary of Bouche. His son's betrayal had shook him up, and now with his advisor in critical condition and a questionable recovery, Timoteo was not certain of who he could trust, even his guardians that he had spent the last decades with could not escape scrutiny—not if he was to put the whole Family first. Despite the dark contents of his mind, his words remained fairly light. "And who could teach them any better than the Boss's mist guardian, himself? You should know everything there is to teach about stealth."

"Yes, but am I a teacher?"

Timoteo turned his head away and was about to reply with an equally light reply but then Coyote stepped through the open door, frowning. "Who left the door open? That seriously breaches security, especially now!" As he gave a pointed look towards Bauche, Coyote continued, shoving the Intelligence captain from before forward. "He has news. CEDEF is now heading to your offices, Timoteo."

"Y-yeah…sir!" The captain nodded. "And the doctors should be here soon…" He trailed off, and turned around to see said doctors leading a stretcher with a man in it, heading towards him. Timoteo immediately recognized Iemitsu in a bloodstained suit with makeshift bandages around his torso and leg. Surrounding them were medical agents in white coats pulling equipment along, all with serious visages. Following from behind with drawn and pale faces were the CEDEF agents. Timoteo could recognize Turmeric and the young trainee—Oregano—who had been introduced just weeks earlier. He wondered what she thought of all this, not even an adult yet and watching a bloody attempted coup d'état happen right in front of her eyes.

Coyote tensed then pulled the captain out of the doorway, making room for the stretcher into the spacious office. As they rolled his advisor in, Timoteo watched with grim eyes as the physicians immediately set to work in the privacy and security of his office. "Please…do you best, Doctor." Turmeric murmured to the man.

It was a cold night in Italy, but the day wouldn't be over for Timoteo for hours more yet.

About half an hour into the operation (by now, Turmeric had led Oregano out of the room and the Intelligence officer had scurried back to his post), a different worker knocked on his door and asked to be let in, claiming to have more shocking news.

"Yes?"

"Uhm…I apologize for taking your time, Boss, especially in such straining conditions…" The young agent carefully restrained his urge to look towards the closed off section where Iemitsu was being worked on. "But… the external advisor's full name, is uhm, Iemitsu Sawada, correct? And he is of Japanese descent, correct?"

Timoteo's eyes narrowed, but the man seemed honestly concerned and worried. "Yes, he is Iemitsu Sawada. His family and nationality is of no concern to you at this time."

"Ah, but… Among our newsfeeds, there's mention that in Japan, there was a horrendous crash along an intersection and…" Timoteo felt his stomach drop. "I mean, it might not be related so I apologize, b—"

"No, explain please."

"Ahh…" The young man looked just as reluctant to say it as Timoteo was reluctant to hear it. It was undoubtedly bad news at this point. "One of the listed victims was named, ah…N…I believe it was Sawada Nana? Is he—I mean, are they—"

The man received his answer upon Timoteo's sharp gasp. "Show me the news report this instant!" His rising voice caused some of the doctors to lift their heads, but with a wave from Coyote (who had walked over a few sentences ago), they returned their focus to their patient. Coyote's face was bleak, revealing that he too, was sick of all the tragedies that had occurred that day. No doubt, some of his own friends had lost their lives already to that day's earlier disaster.

"Ah, y-yes, Boss! This way!" He immediately spun around and headed out the door, jogging when Timoteo urged him to hurry. The Ninth's worry was fueled with the memories of his frequent visits to the happy family home, interspersed with Iemitsu's boasting laughter, his wife's cheerful cooking, and their son's shy smiles. He hadn't had much time to worry about how he would break the news about Iemitsu's injury to Nana, but faced with the idea of her death… He'd take explaining things to Nana over explaining news to Iemitsu _any day._ Especially if it wasn't just Nana, but Tsunayoshi as well. Timoteo was, after all, well aware that Tsuna was rarely left anywhere without his mother.

They passed a few rooms within the Intelligence Department until they reached a series of displays playing sets of news from around the world. An Asian woman with headphones on swiveled in her chair when they entered, remarking, "They just moved on to the weather, but I got it all recorded." Smoothly sliding the chair over, she handed another set of headphones to Timoteo. "The other translators missed the first half, but from what I can tell, it's a serious car accident."

He gratefully received them, watching as the woman adopted a more grave face and started playing the newscast.

Timoteo switched his mind to Japanese, taking a few moments to familiarize himself with the language he hadn't used in months. Yet, as the feed moved from the dark-haired reporter to the video camera, seconds before the crash, Timoteo's breath halted and his eyes darkened.

Those five seconds as the car drove forward and crashed into the bus, sending it into the intersection felt like hours to Timoteo as he analyzed and studied the scene. Immediately, his eyes focused on the bus, intuitively understanding that Nana had been in that bus, if anywhere. As two more cars crashed into the bus, the clip cut and Timoteo's fingers dug into his palms.

His head lowered and silently listening to the reporter's voice as she detailed the circumstances of the crash, his eyes closed. In a few hours from now, when things were sorted out, Timoteo planned on having a moment to himself.

Because he had a family, and when his family was hurt, his heart bled.

"…is the scene at 18:04 today at the 26th and 27th intersection. On the right, Bus #13 can be seen slowing down, but coming from farther behind is an unidentifiable black car. It shows no sign of stopping before crashing into bus and sending it into traffic. Police and medical aid have determined the driver of the black vehicle to have died on impact, with no alcohol in his bloodstream. So far, we have not received news on the name of the driver, but witnesses say they do not recognize him as part of the usual Namimori community.

"Witnesses describe the event as exceedingly harrowing. 'It was horrible. People were screaming and trying to find survivors, but it was utter chaos. The police and emergency medical care didn't arrive for a long time and some people were sick or hyperventilating…' Our reporters are currently investigating as to the delay of the first responders, but, as an officer has aptly stated, 'The damage has been done.'

"Among the victims in the wreck, seventeen are being sent to Central Hospital. That includes eleven adults and six minors, but their names are being withheld. However, some of the pedestrians and bystanders here have recognized and named off a few of the victims. We are c…"

* * *

"…if you see this man, do not confront him. Call emergency officials immediately. Investigators believe he may have a connection to the crash on 26th intersection earlier today. Please do n…"

The droning voice echoed in Kimihiro's head, but instead of the balding reporter on the television screen, his blank eyes could only replay the video of the crash over and over again in his mind. The black car heading towards them… The shocked witnesses… The blinking ligh—

"Ack!" Kimihiro's head snapped forward from the force of a slap on his head, moaning in pain. His head shuddered and he felt a lot dizzier than a little smack warranted; his thoughts were all shook up and scattered.

"Now, now, Watanuki. Sulking does not become you." Lifting his head, his eyes skimmed past an outrageous outfit to land on an unnervingly smiling face. "I've taken care of the boy and Tsuyoshi-san was kind enough to lend him some of his son's clothes. The boy is now asleep in the child's room, with a spare futon."

Kimihiro immediately sat up straight, worry on his face. "Yuuko-san! How hurt was the bo—Ts…Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Hmm…" the beautiful woman hummed, carelessly dropping onto the couch. "He received a few scratches and I removed some glass, but otherwise, the only injury he received was a cut and bruise on the head. Head injuries bleed a lot, so it's not as bad as you thought." Still, Yuuko smiled at him, and Kimihiro trusted his employer. He leaned back and sighed in relief.

"Yokatta… I'm glad that you looked over him… Thank you, Yuuko-san." More than that, Kimihiro was intensely glad that Yuuko had showed up. During the last few hours, he had felt like he was just moving spontaneously, hardly keeping up. He had to admit, he felt a lot more certain in his decisions and confidence when Yuuko was there. And not only that, but now he could finally get some answers.

Kimihiro looked away. "Ano…" The thankful smile on his face faded away and was replaced by a vague frown.

"Before I answer your questions, why don't we break out the _sake_?" With a brilliant smile, Yuuko pulled out a jug of _sake_ and the accompanying cups, cheerfully interrupting Kimihiro's attempt at a tactful conversation opener.

"EH? Yuuko-san!" Kimihiro immediately snatched the _sake_ out of her hands, holding out of her reach even as Yuuko immediately began protesting. "Where did you get this? Don't tell me you're taking it off of our host's shelves!" His other hand was pointing accusingly at the pouting woman.

"Watanuki, Tsuyoshi-san wouldn't mind. At any rate, your accusation's not at all polite, nor accurate." Yuuko leaned forward with a dry smile, hand subtly reaching forward towards the bottle. "You should know, Watanuki. You're the one that brought it, as I requested."

"Eh?" Kimihiro's mind blanked like an unfortunate heart monitor, before he miraculously revived. Just in time to lean back half a meter to avoid the hand that shot out. Yuuko grumbled and sat back. "_That sake__?_ I thought I dropped it next to the pile of—I mean, the umbrella!" He reexamined the bottle, now recognizing the label as the same one on the bottle Mokona had threw at him.

Yuuko smirked victoriously at him, setting a cup on the coffee table and gesturing for him to begin pouring, now that he had no valid complaints. Grumblingly, Kimihiro complied, a little voice in the back of his mind admitting that he wouldn't mind a bit of alcohol at the moment. Yuuko elaborated, "I passed by it on the sidewalk (your regurgitated lunch too), and of course, could not let good _sake_ go to waste."

Kimihiro rolled his eyes. "All the while, people panicking around you? I suppose after that is when you found me…?"

When Kimihiro looked back up and handed Yuuko her cup, her smile had disappeared. "Aa."

* * *

_Kimihiro began holding the small boy gently in his arms, but it was impossible to do so while lifting the both of them out of the bus. He wasn't even sure what he was doing anyway. His actions were automatic and instinctive, with nervous tension buried deep within._

_Kimihiro grunted, carefully shifting the boy to his side. Thankfully, the kid was rather light and didn't exhaust Kimihiro much, although that might've had more to do with the adrenaline than any muscle strength. Squinting through the faint street light, he raised his hand and attempted to grab one of the bus poles._

_He needed to get out of there. Kimihiro needed to get that bo—Tsunayoshi—out of there. Although his stumbling, mechanical steps had already put the mother (what was her name? He should have asked for her name) out of his sight, Kimihiro still felt like her penetrating, discerning gaze was watching his every move._

_Kimihiro wasn't going to fail._

"_A-ah…" His arm grasped blindly through the air, flinching when his fingertips brushed cold metal. The teenager paused, almost biting his lip, before he fruitlessly examined the ground. Kimihiro spied the edge of the bus seats. They were narrow, but the highest point he could find, what with the bus on its side. Adjusting his grip on the child, Kimihiro tested the cushiony edge before pulling them up, swaying dangerously afterwards. He automatically cringed, expecting to a certain degree to bump into a metal pole again__, like__ he did when he dropped in._

_After a moment from which Kimihiro regained his equilibrium, he straightened himself out. Slowly, he raised his head further with one hand slipping from his hold of the child to reach up and search for a pole to grasp. Not too far above him, Kimihiro could see broken and cracked windows. Golden light reflected off the imperfections, leaving empty darkness in the glass-less spaces. Using this knowledge, Kimihiro centered on the window with the least glass shards, and the least chance of cutting the boys to ribbons._

_A slap echoed in the vehicle as his pale hand located the metal pole. _'This is it.' _Kimihiro smiled grimly. He once again adjusted the limp body in his grip, before setting half of the boy's body over his shoulder on second thought. He needed both hands to raise the two of them onto the pole, without the child falling._

_With a spark of trepidation, (what if it failed? What if he dropped the silent child; what if he hurt him?) Kimihiro pulled the bar with a burst of controlled strength, twisting his body as air rushed past him. His arm snapped off the metal and he swung it around, just barely remembering not to knock the boy off his shoulder before his hand slapped back on the metal pole. For a frozen moment, he hung in the darkness, But the moment passed and gravity pushed him onto the bar, sitting unsteadily, hand slowly reaching up to assure him that the b—that Tsunayoshi—was still there._

_Five seconds was what passed._

_The next minutes passed in a blur in large contrast to those few, highlighted seconds of pressure. His head was just inches away from their window of escape, a result of his unusual tall stature. Kimihiro blinked up at the glass, freezing when something dripped on his face. Sliding down his cheek was a droplet of water and Kimihiro held his breath._

_Then, under the rainless skies he lifted up the small child by his armpits. Kimihiro twisted his head to keep an eye on the window's opening, slow and careful to keep the child's head away from the sharp edges. Despite his trembling hands, he managed to push Tsunayoshi out of the window with only the slightest of scratches. Still, every rip and tear left Kimihiro as still as the dead, afraid of moving another inch. Once, he hadn't even noticed; not until another droplet fell on his face and he realized it wasn't rain._

_Kimihiro drew in a trembling breath._

_When Tsunayoshi was almost out of the bus, the bright scarf the boy was wearing got caught by the sharp point of the glass. That had been difficult to take care of. The glass had embedded deep into the yarn, and Kimihiro was already having enough trouble keeping the boy upright with two hands—he could hardly spare one. Still, somehow he managed to untangle the vivid scarf, one of the few things that still shone brightly in the darkness._

_With the boy resting on the top of the bus outside, Kimihiro was free pull himself up, balancing precariously on the bar off to the side while trying to slide out of the bus without falling back down. It wasn't an easy task with no person to balance him on the bottom or to push him up. In the end, Kimihiro simply clenched his teeth and set his hands off to the sides of the window on the outside of the bus. Glass dug into his flesh, but Kimihiro had to get out. He had to get help, and make sure that mother could live to see her son again, safe and sound._

_She made a wish, and Kimihiro wanted to see it granted._

_Fabric tore as he pulled himself out of the mangled chamber of metal and breathed in cool, wet air again. Clouds flew overhead, filtering the moonlight that __shone__ on their sorry states._

_The teenager shook his head again, hair now dry, yet still cold in the humid air. He was just sitting on the edge of the window, legs loosely draped over the stabbing glass shards the lined the edge. The boy laid next to him, hair haphazardly splayed against the bent surface of the bus and face visibly calm and unworried. They breathed._

_Then Kimihiro gingerly scooted back, lifting his long legs out of the bus, sending fragments of glass falling to the ground. They landed with a tinkle, the sound loud in his ears, sending Kimihiro back to the world of the living. It was like all the events of the day just kept pushing the teenager more and more and his thoughts were slipping. With the tinkle of glass signifying the end of their ordeal, an outbreak of sound rose around them, originating from the frantic, solemn people on the ground, the screech of splintering glass and metal, the distant roll of gravel and tires and—and sirens._

_He gasped and smiled, hurriedly standing up to start moving the boy down, off the bus, where he would be safer. So it was with a surprised wince that Kimihiro fell back on his bottom, just dodging the dangerous shards of glass that littered the frames of the windows. The soft sound echoed in the area, and Kimihiro gulped, hoping the bus wouldn't break down or anything in the mean time._

_More cautiously then, Kimihiro picked up the child with his arms, tattered sleeves swishing in the wind. Holding the boy protectively with both of his arms, Kimihiro carefully headed towards the back end of the bus where the metal was mangled and crushed. There would be more footholds on that end and it should be easier to jump down with the load in his arms._

_A flash of shining, long black hair in the corner of his eyes left Kimihiro tripping the last step on his way down. "A…another surprise?" He mumbled, voice breaking from lack of use._

_High heels stepped on broken glass, the sound alerting Kimihiro to her location. "Yuuko-san…" He breathed._

_She did not smile. "That child…" She raised her black, endless eyes to Kimihiro's stare, serious and evaluating. "…You have a choice to make, Watanuki. Don't you?" The woman stood only a few feet away, dressed in an immaculate, purple gown. Her hair was pulled back and she carried a bag on her shoulder. _

_He began to stride over, and then hesitated, suddenly realizing that Yuuko did not look calm and confident like she usuall—always—did. She looked…apprehensive. "…What do you mean? …Ah!" He glanced down at the boy in his arms, and quickly stepped forward again, carefully fixing his grip on Tsunayoshi again. "You mean—? T-this boy needs help—but we can just wait for the ambulance, right—? H-his mother…she's still inside, can you watch this boy until I get her out? She needs…" Kimihiro fell silent and looked at Yuuko with determined eyes. "She has a wish. For her son to live and be happy. Can you—will it be granted?"_

"…"

_She slowly shook her head. "I can't grant it."_

* * *

"Ahhhhh…." Yuuko took a long swig of _sake_ straight from the bottle, ignoring the cup Kimihiro had poured for her. His vein popped out, but he restrained the urge to rant at the woman like a mother. He was more in favor of throwing his questions in her face.

"Yuuko-san." He hesitated as her eyes slid over, knowing and confident once again. Kimihiro coughed and replaced his reprimanding tone with a more somber one. "Yuuko-san… did you… did you know that would happen?"

She smiled again, and Kimihiro suddenly got the impression that she'd give a worthless reply like, 'Knew what would happen?' even when it was clear to both parties exactly what he was asking about. "Ahh, you think so poorly of me, Kimihiro." He stiffened like a bolt of electricity just ran through his body and glared at the woman.

"I can easily read the emotions on your face, so clear and revealing." He opened his mouth to protest, only to be chided by the laziest wom—the laziest person, period—in Japan, no doubt. Might stretch that to 'in all the dimensions', what with her network of influence. "Don't interrupt me, Watanuki. Let's not get off track. To your question, no. I did not see the previous circumstances ahead of time."

"Then why did you send me out to Namimori, now of all times?" He pressed. "Coincidence?"

She shook her head, smile still and unnerving. "Have you lost all of your senses just because of one, stressful situation? You've been through worse. Surely you remember, _there is no such thing as coincidence_. There is no guzen—only…"

"Hitsuzen," Kimihiro finished when she paused, obviously waiting for him to do so. His eyes narrowed, "Then why? Why, Yuuko-san? People…people died out there!"

With a shake of her head, Yuuko picked up the untouched cup of _sake_ Kimihiro had poured for her and handed it to the boy. As her bangs fell out of her face, her eyes bored into Kimihiro's. "Because something would change your life today, and _hitsuzen_ is always working, always acting upon the circumstances." She tilted her head up, motioning for him to take a sip already. He rolled his eyes and drank the whole cup. "Watanuki, I asked you to come here today and _hitsuzen _is what has made this night special." She smiled mysteriously.

"I wonder, if in another ten or so years, if you will regret the choice…you will make."

Kimihiro shook his head, fists clenched. "What choice? I…it's just if you knew people were going to die today, why didn't you tell someone and save them?" Even as he asked his question, Kimihiro could hear the flaw in his argument. After all, what would Yuuko gain from saving those lives? Good karma?

"I did not know a car accident would take place. I could predict it, believe in it, but who else would? What… would be the point, in trying to stop something that had already taken root ages ago? What is the point, in trying to change what has already come to pass?"

Kimihiro recognized the meaning in that sentence, and shut up.

* * *

"_Watanuki Kimihiro… That woman asked _you _to grant her wish, not I. And further more… someone with my abilities is not as powerful as you believe. We are… There is not much I can give without payment, and that woman is on the cusp of death whether you realize it or not. She does not have much to _lose _and the scale of balance is blurred and incomplete."_

"_What… what are you saying? To me?" Kimihiro felt nervous and the weight of the boy was getting tiring. He brought the boy back to his chest when it was clear Yuuko would not take him. "I… I can't grant wishes."_

_Her first smile appears at his words. "Do you tell lies because you are afraid of failure, or because you want failure? Sadness, or happiness?" Kimihiro could not say anything; not a protest, not a response._

"_I can't tell you all the answers, Watanuki. I can't read your mind."_

* * *

Kimihiro looked away, wishing Yuuko hadn't hogged all the _sake_ to herself because he wouldn't have minded a refill right then. "But Yuuko-san… Can I really take care of this kid? I mean… I'm not his mother. I can't—"

"You're not supposed to replace that child's mother. But did you not make your choice? Tell me, Watanuki…Are you going to grant that woman's wish?" Her onyx eyes stared into Kimihiro's soul. What could he say? He couldn't just deny it, not when that mother could lose her life at any moment. That boy looked so helpless too.

But it wasn't a matter of whether or not Kimihiro wanted to help them—it was just, was he the best option? They couldn't even bring Tsunayoshi to the hospital because… because—

* * *

_Yuuko interrupted his hesitant silence and easily grabbed his shoulder, pushing him behind the bus. "If you don't have the resolve to answer that question now, then think on it. Make sure you are certain of it and the consequences before you answer me. Because right now, we're not safe here."_

"_What?" Kimihiro was instantly on the edge. Yuuko held a much clearer perception of the spirit world than he did, and he was not in the mood to deal with any more curses. "Is there a spirit?"_

"_No. I should've rephrased that earlier sentence—you're dealing with the consequences of your actions right now. We have to move, Watanuki! We're heading back to the shop." She lunged gracefully to the right, leading Kimihiro towards the emptied alleys, dodging the debris and crowds. "Go! To the bus stop, discreetly!"_

"_Wait, what?" Kimihiro felt like he'd been saying that a lot, but a hard edge entered his voice. "We're not bringing this boy back on a bus!" The hand on his shoulder lifted a centimeter and then settled back down. She turned her head to reveal a measuring gaze._

_He held his breath, ready to argue and defend his statement with all his strength. Despite all of Yuuko's manipulations in the past, Kimihiro wasn't going to joke about this. Whether it was for the benefit of the child in his arms or for Kimihiro's state of mind, he didn't want to step on another bus for years._

"…_You are correct. The bus loops probably aren't even working any more with this intersection down." She smoothly pulled Kimihiro along, turning back to the direction they had started. "In that case, there is no easy way back to the shop, considering the circumstances._

"_We'll go to the home of an acquaintance of mine. He has some knowledge of the darker edge to life." She pushed Kimihiro into another alley, softening her footsteps and avoiding rubble. Kimihiro tried to protest; after all, the sirens were steadily coming closer and Tsunayoshi required medical attention. He needed to tell them of the mother still trapped in the bus, waiting, wishing for news of her son's safety._

_His face was sweating and he tried to twist out of Yuuko's grasp, anger growing in his body._

"_Stop it, Watanuki, if you don't want a hole in your head."_

That, _made Kimihiro stumble and pause, disbelief on his face. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open, inviting more flies inside than the world ought to ever breed. Any hilarity the moment might have deserved though was brushed aside when Yuuko's threat was made very possible by the sudden rise in screaming._

_Tires screeched and the sirens were loud. Emergency officials spilled out of the open doors and began their work, all the while Kimihiro and Yuuko ran through the alleys, a boy hidden in the teenager's arms. "What is—?"_

_Yuuko hissed and pulled him down when a group of darkly dressed men passed. Kimihiro shifted in surprise, almost losing his balance. The woman easily caught him by the collar and lowered him quietly to the dirty ground. He was not appreciative. But Kimihiro stilled his glare when the men passed them by._

_Yuuko, Kimihiro, and Tsunayoshi were concealed around the corner wall and the doorway of a wayward apartment. Holding his breath, Kimihiro waited, never having to deal with such perilous _human _opposition before. _

_The moonlight caught the group of men as they left the shadows and Kimihiro's pulse quickened. He recognized the gruff man in the middle as the same one he spotted earlier in the streets, carrying a gun. Upon another study of the men in dark suits, he realized they all carried guns. The suits they wore could also be likened to those of Western businessmen; white shirts, black jackets, and ties. But they were far more sinister and—Kimihiro noted—more fit. _

_Then the gunmen walked on, turning onto__ a __perpendicular alley, miraculously not noticing them. He quietly turned and followed Yuuko's lead as she stood and continued down the path, not a word leaving her mouth. Kimihiro still felt shaken, and couldn't help but tighten his grip on the boy. The student didn't know what those silent men had been searching for, but his instincts said they were dangerous. Yet, Yuuko clearly knew what their target was, and apparently, they were connected. Some questions needed to be answered, and soon._

_Twice afterwards, they ducked and sat still when they heard bangs and something Kimihiro could not deny as gunshots. It was never close by, yet it did not seem so loud as to have originated from far away either. The sound reverbrated against the stone walls that surrounded them and made Kimihiro hesitate. It was only when Yuuko turned around and waved him forward again that he would continue._

_When his employer finally pulled them onto a regular street and told him to hold the boy like a little brother who had fallen asleep, Kimihiro jumped in surprise. It was dark and late, but the occasional stranger still wandered down the street. "Don't lose your focus, Watanuki. We're almost there."_

* * *

"…" Kimihiro could not answer Yuuko's question; he wanted more time. He wanted to at least… "Can I….can we wait until Tsunayoshi wakes up first? I want to know… how he feels." His fingers wrapped around the empty _sake_ cup, playing with it in a nervous gesture.

"If that is what you need, Watanuki, then use the time wisely."

His head rose and he gazed at Yuuko with surprise. "I…didn't think you'd be so agreeable." She shrugged and stood up, setting the now empty _sake_ bottle on the coffee table. Clearly, she had been busy while he reminisced.

In a light voice, his employer replied, "Well, we also need a way to return to the shop when that boy wakes up. Since buses don't seem to be agreeable with either of you two, then the cheapest way back would be through akake." At that, a familiar smirk settled on her face and clapped her hands together. "I need to set it up overnight, so you might as well take the time to form your answer. My, it has been a while since I got to see you try to trudge on through the portal."

Kimihiro, who had just been about to question her on what exactly was an '_akake_', jolted. "Th-that thing? That portal we took months ago to that computer lady's apartment?" His voice rose as bad memories returned, reminding Kimihiro of the eerie creatures that traversed through the _akake_ and the forbidding aura.

"Mmhm!" Yuuko hummed cheerfully. "Oh! Tsuyoshi-san! I'll be leaving soon, so would it be alright to impose my careless part-timer on you for the night?" She called over, grabbing the attention of the Japanese man in the kitchen.

"Don't give such a blasé reply! Arghhh!" Kimihiro's hands flew up to his head and he crouched over, groaning. "Is that even safe for a kid? He's going to be scarred for life!" Then, of course, he shot up and sent Yuuko an incredulous look. "Wait, what do you mean 'for the night'? I thought we were going back to the shop for that…._akake_….thing…" Kimihiro shook his head disgustedly.

Still, Yuuko laughed and Tsuyoshi walked in, wiping his hands off on a towel. With a jaunty wave as she headed to the front door, Yuuko explained, "Didn't you want to see Tsunayoshi when he wakes up? You'll only slow me down, so I'll go on ahead to the shop and send the portal in the morning. That is, if that's alright with you, Tsuyoshi-san?" As Kimihiro sputtered and tried to frantically apologize to the host for imposing on him, Tsuyoshi only gave a small grin.

"It's no problem, Watanuki-kun, Yuuko-san. I owe this woman few things, so feel free to spend the night and watch over the kid." The father had a gruff, but kind voice and waved Yuuko off while untying a cloth around his head. "You're coming in the morning right, Yuuko-san? With the _akake_?"

"Indeed, Tsuyoshi-san. I apologize in advance for any foolishness Watanuki might display." There was a loud objection in the background, but the two adults couldn't be bothered to listen, especially over each other's chuckles. "In foresight, don't bother giving Watanuki your futon; he'll be fine with the couch." Now Kimihiro couldn't object because that would be rude, expecting so much gracious hospitality. That didn't mean Yuuko had to be so mocking about it, though. Kimihiro moaned.

After another quiet round of laughter, Yuuko stepped into her shoes and opened the entrance door. "I'll be back tomorrow by _akake_." Yuuko walked out and turned around as she slid the door shut.

"By then, have your answer ready, Watanuki."

The door clicked and then it was quiet.

Surrounded by the cool, fresh autumn air in the dead of the night, Yuuko let the smile on her face drop. The shop behind her was dimly lit, decorated by traditional screen doors and mats. There were bright, orange and red filled trees in the vicinity, soon to lose their leaves to winter's frosty chill. The sky above twinkled with starlight, not yet obscured by all sorts of pollution from light, gas, or poison.

And then, there were the strings of fate, criss-crossing the world in front of her, tangled and tied; some cut, some unraveling.

Her pale, white hand lifted up slowly, hovering above the threads. A spindly finger reached down, but then the scene was lost when she made contact with the string. "Ah." Yuuko shook her head exasperatedly, as if scolding herself. Like they were never there, the scene collapsed and the threads disappeared from view. They unwound and faded gone, leaving a still evening behind. "…Oh well. I'll hear the answer by tomorrow."

* * *

**EDIT:** Minor edits. Japanese words are italicized, some sentences made clearer. Sorry if you got an alert.

**A/N:** Whoops. I just posted an edit of Ch.1 'cause I realized upon looking through the episodes that Yuuko just calls Watanuki without any honorifics. Hmm…what else did I change…nothing big, a few typos, oh! Yuuko's little after-note gag. I think I also made another mention to Tsuna's wearing of his mom's orange scarf. The rest of the edits were minor.

Sorry for the chapter being later than I mentioned. I underestimated my laziness. I didn't mean for the first part with the Vongola to get so long…sorry if it was boring. Iemitsu's condition was important though! I kind of feel not a lot of interesting things happened this chapter, but it was necessary. I mean, Yuuko obviously would have something to say, you know? I originally meant for the chapter to end in the morning after they headed back to the shop, but this was way longer than I expected so I cut it.

Notes:

The _**akake**_** portal** they talk about it was in xxxHOLiC season one of the anime and I think the manga, where they use it to go to a woman's house who is addicted to the computer and Yuuko eventually solves the problem by just slicing through it with an amazing baseball bat. Or at least that's how it happened in the anime. Refreshed your memory?  
**Ganauche and etc. are the guardians of Timoteo**, the Ninth boss of the Vongola Mafia. Their names were revealed in the recent arc, but I actually haven't been reading it so I'm sorry if their personalities were completely OOC! Feel free to tell me if they are though, and I'll make an effort to skim through and try to get a sense of more than just their names XD.  
**Tsuyoshi:** I do not know why I put this person in. He is a real character from one of the series, which you may or may not recognize… I don't know how I'm going to tie this is in, but it's interesting. His character will be revealed next chapter when they eat breakfast and you meet his son. Unfortunately, he feels OOC too to me!  
**Hitsuzen** is very important, and if you don't know what it means, I take it you have not seen xxxHOLiC. You should watch it right now. In any case, hitsuzen pretty much means the inevitable, destined, or fate. It is the opposite of guzen, which means coincidence or rather 'that things just happen for no reason'. Hitsuzen means that every event and meeting, no matter how slight, has meaning and a point. Yuuko always refers to it a lot.

Alright, so thanks for reading and please review and tell me what you think! Next chapter….expect by…December? Hopefully? I do have SATs to study for….XD…I'm _planning_ for next chapter to include dreams, breakfast, Tsuna's reaction (how will that happen? I do not know.), return to the wish shop, and _maaayybe_ Doumeki if I can fit it in the next chapter.

**-ShadowTacticianVI**


	3. Tomorrow's Dream

**Posted:** October 2nd, 2011  
**Updated:** October 2nd, 2011  
**Chapter Words: **6460  
**Rating:** T (Language, violence, death, dark themes)  
**Full Summary:**It was a crash at an intersection. A mother and her last wish. But when all forces are doing their best to keep this wish unheard, unacted upon, and unfulfilled, what is Watanuki Kimihiro supposed to do with young child, Sawada Tsunayoshi? What brings Watanuki into the world of Mafia and Tsuna into a world of spirits, is never guzen...never coincidence. It can only be hitsuzen.

**Warnings:** Takes place before Katekyo Hitman Reborn and after Watanuki deals with the whole spider and eye mess, but before Himawari's episode. This story does not require a lot of knowledge of KHR I don't think, but you'll probably be confused if you haven't seen xxxHoLiC because it's going to be in Watanuki's POV. Might be a little OOC but I'll try not to. Will be AU later I think. I'm slow at updating.  
**  
Disclaimer: If I owned Katekyo Hitman Reborn or xxxHolic, you could guarantee that they'd be on infinite hiatus with my track record xD. Don't own.**

* * *

_**.**_

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**A Crossroads**

_**. **_

**3. Tomorrow's Dream**

They were seated at the edge of the platform, bare feet just lightly brushing the dew-spotted grass. The skies were dark, yet clear; it was a nice change from the earlier downpour. Lit by the moon, a smile ghosted across Kimihiro's face before he looked back down at his companion. When he first 'awoke' to this scene, he thought Doumeki had snuck in again, but Kimihiro was getting better at differentiating the two at this point.

"Good evening, Haruka-san. I suppose…" Kimihiro gave a glance at his surroundings, recognizing it to be his workplace. "…this is a dream?"

The man replied with a serene smile, idly lifting a cigarette to his mouth. "If that is what you make it to be, Watanuki-kun." The teenager smiled ruefully. Unbidden, Kimihiro's eyes drifted towards the moon. Distantly, he admired the view.

For a while, they sat in silence before Kimihiro began to speak. "Haruka-san… Do you… Are you aware of what happened earlier…today?"

The man raised an eyebrow and turned his head towards Kimihiro. "There are many events that happen in a day. It is not easy to separate them out into what's significant and what's not." Here, a hint of amusement colored Haruka's voice. "However, there was an indeed something today that seemed to strike Shizuka into a worried frenzy." Kimihiro winced, now recognizing the knowing look in Haruka's eyes amidst the sea of amusement.

"Aa… You mean," Kimihiro's hand rose and rested on his right eye. "…I was in a pretty emotional situation there. I didn't mean to worry Doumeki." A cloud descended on Kimihiro's head. "…oh man, and now he's going to bother me again and stick his nose into all my business, that jerk…" he mumbled, ignoring Haruka's light chuckles at his words.

"Shizuka is not a person to worry easily. He made a call to Yuuko-san. Although, hearing that you were both out did not exactly alleviate his worries." He leveled Kimihiro with a kind stare. "Do you, perhaps, feel like telling me about your circumstance? Something seems to be bothering you."

Kimihiro sucked in his breath, but he knew he would agree. Haruka had proved to be a wealth of wisdom, and often solved any conflict Kimihiro had in his mind. "Well… I had been down in Namimori…"

He went through the story slowly, but concisely. He paused at the part where he entered the bus, unsure as to whether or not he had been foolish upon hindsight. He felt uncomfortable at describing the victims, but he was also aware that they needed to be mentioned. Finally, he finished with the query Yuuko had presented him with and was left silent.

A breeze swept by, rustling the dry leaves on the ground; the sound was made all the clearer amidst the quiet. Then Haruka spoke. "And now you are conflicted as to whether you should take in the boy or not." It was a statement, not a question, so Kimihiro simply nodded. Haruka calmly took a breath of his cigarette before continuing. "If you are conflicted…then you must know the pros and cons of either choice, do you not?"

Kimihiro looked almost puzzled, but then he nodded slowly. "If I take Tsunayoshi-kun in… I don't know if I can provide sufficient care," before he could continue, Haruka smoothly cut in.

"Then why do you not leave him to the ambulance or the police who can give him to a family that will provide such care?"

Kimihiro thought it would be difficult to find an answer, but it immediately popped up in his mind. "Because… I made a promise, and I…" Haruka would not fill the silence with an assumption; instead his eyes looked kindly upon Kimihiro, waiting for his answer. Kimihiro knew the answer, but now that it had become apparent to him, he was hesitant to voice it. "…and I… I don't…. I don't feel like I should leave Tsunayoshi-kun with somebody else.

"I… I usually trust these sorts of feelings, especially after disasters like these happen, but…" A strange look covered Kimihiro's face. "The emergency ambulance being delayed…the suspicious gang in the alleys…there's more to this than what's seen at first glance, and I get the feeling I'm getting into something I _should_ end up regretting." His eyes dropped to his clutched together hands, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Haruka smiled and turned towards Kimihiro. "But will you regret it? You understand that it may end up being dangerous for yourself…but whether or not you are there, that boy's life will remain dangerous for him.

"It may also end up dangerous to the people around you."

Kimihiro's eyes widened, but at the same time, those words ended up clicking in his mind. "…to the people around Tsunayoshi-kun…" Kimihiro cut off his mumbling, and instead stood up. Feet sinking into the damp earth, he gave Haruka a warm smile.

"Thank you. I… I can't be certain of what my choice will result in, but my beliefs haven't led me far too astray yet." He bowed to Haruka, who also stood up.

"It is good to trust in your beliefs. If you are determined to help him, then perhaps, the present is as good a time to start as any." They were cryptic words that served to confuse Kimihiro. Yet, as he lifted his head and eyes to question the man, he found himself in an entirely different location.

It was the inside of a western-styled home. Kimihiro blinked and glanced around, realizing he was still standing. A look at the window however, revealed… Kimihiro paused, surprised. There was no window. It was incredibly dark within the closed room, and suddenly Kimihiro was uneasy. Hadn't the room Tsuyoshi-san showed him to include a window? Confusion befuddled him as he stumbled towards the wall, trying to find a light switch in the dark. It didn't feel like morning yet, but in case it was, he had better get up. It wasn't like he could see the futon anyway to go back to sleep.

Yet, as much as Kimihiro tripped and shuffled forward, his outstretched hand hadn't touched the wall yet. It was honestly eerie. Then, the teenager jumped when the sound of crying broke the silence. He spun around and could see that amidst the darkness, one corner of the room was lit up. He had no idea how he missed it earlier.

Opposite from Kimihiro was a little boy curled up beside a work desk and a bookcase. He was clutching an orange scarf tightly, and it was this picture that allowed Kimihiro to find the familiar connection. "Ts…Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Ha…ah…" The boy was gasping like there wasn't any air left in the world. "H…ah….Mama…." It struck a chord in Kimihiro's heart, and he wondered if the boy was crying.

"Tsunayoshi-kun…?" Kimihiro stepped forward when the boy didn't reply. He couldn't see Tsunayoshi's face, buried as it was in the scarf. Yet, even if that one corner was lit up like a beacon, the rest of the room was still immersed in the darkness. With a yelp, Kimihiro crashed forward, tripping over some other mess on the floor. A thought flashed through his mind, was Tsuyoshi's son simply this messy with his room or…?

For that matter, wasn't Kimihiro in the guest room?

In any case, he managed to hit the carpet with both hands, thus protecting his face. Tsunayoshi continued to cry in the background.

Slowly, Kimihiro sat up, now only a foot away from the boy. He took the opportunity to observe the situation.

Now that he was closer, he could see that what he originally perceived as a beacon of light focused on Tsunayoshi, wasn't really a beacon at all. Shadows crept at the edges of the corner, jagged and sharp, as if the light was being torn apart. It was more likely, Kimihiro guessed, that the base of the room was light, and that it were the shadows that were trespassing, so to speak. Centered in the middle of it all was Tsunayoshi.

"…hahh….auh…" The corners of Kimihiro's mouth pulled down, and he lifted a hand gently to Tsunayoshi's shoulder.

Although there was no reaction from the boy, Kimihiro spoke anyway. "Why are you crying, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Still, the boy ignored him, and Kimihiro had to use a different tactic. Not unkindly, Kimihiro set both of his hands on the boy's shoulders and endeavored to get Tsunayoshi to sit up and look at him. Finally, Tsunayoshi resisted and curled up even tighter, shaking his head.

"G-go away…"

Although it was negative, Kimihiro was glad to get a response. "Should I really go away? I-" Before he could even finish, a hand shot out and latched onto Kimihiro's sleeve.

"W-wait…! I…" Sniffling, Tsunayoshi lifted his head and Kimihiro got a clear look at the boy's face. His eyes were red and in the manner of all young children, he was sobbing in such a way he could hardly speak. "D…don't le-leave me….ah….too…" The child's head sank as he tried to keep speaking, but it was impossible behind the ball of tears in his throat.

Kimihiro leaned forward. "Try to calm down, Tsunayoshi… I promise I won't leave." Patiently, he waited as the sobs gradually subsided.

Then, the boy forced out, in between bouts of dry sobs and gasps. "I…I'm scared….Mommy's gone….and it's all dark… Hahh… I'm all…by myself…and no one…no one is going to…" The boy brought the orange scarf to his eyes and hid his face. "…I don't know…where I am….wher…" It grew quiet, only broken occasionally by Tsunayoshi's sniffs as he said no more.

Kimihiro bit his lip, and then wrapped his hands around the boy. Even as Tsunayoshi stiffened in surprise, Kimihiro pulled the boy into a hug, and spoke. "But you're not alone, Tsunayoshi-kun. Even now, your mother is waiting for you somewhere, wishing for your safety. I don't know where she is…but I'll definitely find her for you." Kimihiro couldn't hear any crying as he paused for a breath, so he continued on. "All this darkness doesn't belong here at all. Your mother… She must've been such a bright person, and she told me you were a wonderful boy. It's not that hard to bring the light back."

Tsunayoshi asked softly, "How?" Tightly gripping Kimihiro's shirt, Tsunayoshi whispered, "It's too dark to see anything."

Kimihiro stood up, swaying slightly with the weight of a child, if a distorted weight. "Then let's wake up from the nightmare, Tsunayoshi-kun. We just have to keep walking forward."

* * *

In the well-lit guest room, amidst the soft chirping of birds and wildlife, Kimihiro woke up.

His eyes snapped open, revealing shades of gold and blue for a short moment, before the gold dissipated and only blue remained, as usual. Heart beating, Kimihiro simply laid there for a few moments. Now that he was properly awake, he wondered how he could've ever mistaken dream for reality. Not that dreams didn't hold sway in the real world.

A set of pounding footsteps lent credit to his thoughts as a boy cried out, "Dad! He's awake! The boy woke up and he looked really scared!" Despite his words, the child didn't sound particularly worried—rather, he seemed upbeat. Shaking his head, Kimihiro sat up, glancing at the clear floor, open window and empty corners. Yup, definitely reality.

"Shush, Takeshi! Our other guest is still asleep." There was a pause in the noise as Kimihiro stood up and grabbed his glasses, running a hand through his hair while he was at it. Then, the teenager peered towards the door when there was a knock. Before he could welcome Tsuyoshi in, the door popped open ajar and the man glanced around, catching sight of his only-just-awakened state. Dryly, Tsuyoshi continued his earlier statement. "Or rather, our guest _was_ still asleep before you woke him up, Takeshi."

"Ahh, sorry, Dad!" The voice was young and carefree, bringing a smile to Kimihiro's face. Takeshi, Kimihiro assumed was the kid's name, stuck a head in the room as well to examine Kimihiro with a gaze of curiosity. Before he could duck back out, his father reprimanded the kid about his manners. "Right, sorry for waking you up, Tanuki-san!"

"That's '_Wa_tanuki-san', Takeshi!" The father groaned when his son only chuckled nervously and revised his apology. Kimihiro, nevertheless, found himself amused. Certainly, he didn't _look _like a tanuki, did he? He made a note to check to see if he had rings around his eyes later when he visited the bathroom.

But before that, he had to see Tsunayoshi. "Good morning, Tsuyoshi-san and Takeshi-kun. Tsunayoshi-kun is awake, then? May I see him?"

The man nodded and swung the door open wider, gesturing for Kimihiro to follow him. "Good morning to you too, Watanuki-kun. And I think it's indeed best if you look to the kid. Must be scared senseless, waking up in a stranger's home." Tsuyoshi then shot his son a look. "As for you, Takeshi, check and see if the rice is done yet."

"Alright, Dad!" Takeshi scampered off as Tsuyoshi led Kimihiro just down the hallway to a door left slightly ajar. Kimihiro pushed the door open, hardly noticing Tsuyoshi turning back and walking away to the kitchen.

It was almost a familiar scene that met him. The room was dim, and only a sliver of light slipped past a set of curtains. They landed squarely on a brunet boy; he was curled up and his face was hidden. For a split second, Kimihiro paused and his vision swam. Then the room came back with crisp distinction, and the differences could be seen. The orange scarf wasn't wrapped around the boy, but rather, neatly folded on the desk. Tsunayoshi wasn't crying in loneliness, but tired and hardly awake. He wasn't hidden behind the desk or bookcase, but wrapped up in a colorful, boyish comforter.

Kimihiro let out a small breath and set his hand on Tsunayoshi's shoulder. "I heard that you're awake. Let's all eat breakfast together, then?"

The boy's eyes blinked open and he stared at Kimihiro in mild trepidation and surprise. Then—"You…you're the one that scared the darkness away!" Kimihiro wasn't certain of the word choice (he didn't scare anything away? He just told Tsunayoshi to wake up from the nightmare…) but then the boy continued. "It was so warm… It lit the room and sent all the darkness gone!" A shy, but eager smile accompanied the words, and although Kimihiro wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, he nodded and smiled at the boy's happy dreams.

"I'm glad you're safe now, Tsunayoshi-kun. Let's head on down, and then…" His smile softened. "I'll explain what's going on with…"

"My mama…?"

Sadness and apprehension colored Kimihiro's reply. "Aa…" Kimihiro stood up then, unsure of when he had kneeled in the first place. Suddenly, Tsunayoshi grabbed his sleeve, reminiscent of the same scene that had occurred in the dream, but it was only curiosity in the boy's eyes this time—not terror.

"Wait! You…you know my name; Tsunayoshi." The boy declared—almost as if reaffirming it to himself. Nonetheless, Kimihiro nodded bemusedly. "I…ano...your name…?" Tsunayoshi was blushing and looking down, embarrassed for some reason, even when it was clearly Kimihiro's fault.

Immediately, Kimihiro bowed and apologized. "Ah! Sorry, Tsunayoshi-kun; I completely forgot with everything that was going on. My name is Watanuki Kimihiro." Kimihiro then offered a hand to the boy and gently pulled Tsunayoshi off the bed. He smiled.

"It's nice to meet you."

* * *

"So nice to see you well and awake, Tsunayoshi-kun." Tsunayoshi stared wide-eyed at the eccentric woman crouched before him, a positively 'deer-in-the-headlights' look in his eyes. Kimihiro twitched and would've immediately pulled Yuuko away from the poor boy before he was traumatized (or worse, _corrupted)_, but he was unfortunately too busy yelling and restraining Doumeki from devouring his breakfast.

As for poor Tsunayoshi, well, he had wanted to know what was going on, but he didn't expect...

"At a loss for words, are you?" Her smile was not at all comforting, and when Kimihiro was finally able to motion Tsunayoshi over to the table and away from the woman, he was positively relieved. Quickly scrambling into the vacant seat, Tsuna watched as Kimihiro scolded the woman while the other strange man next to him suddenly snatched Kimihiro's eggs.

"Dam—Dang it, Doumeki!" Kimihiro caught himself and abruptly lifted his plate off the table with a scowl. "This is mine! MINE! What happened to your plate?"

Tsunayoshi glanced over, the man's—Doumeki's—plate was pristine. That reminded Tsuna of his own plate, still mostly full. He picked up the chopsticks and poked at the rice.

He wasn't very hungry… But his mother always told him to eat everything, especially when they were at a guest's. He bit his lip, faced with a dilemma. Then, the boy next to Tsunayoshi made the decision for him. "Do you not like it? My dad can make sushi crazy fast if you want that instead!" The boy looked a bit older than Tsunayoshi, but was entirely welcoming with his wide grin and bright eyes.

"Ah, Takeshi! We don't eat sushi for breakfast!" His father looked a bit annoyed, but instead of a frown, he wore a smile. Turning towards Tsunayoshi, we asked jovially. "But you are not eating… Would you-"

"No, i-it's alright!" The first words he spoke since he left the bedroom. They were stuttered and quiet. If it weren't for the attention focused on him, it would've been completely overshadowed by the rest of the conversations going on around the small table. "I-I'm eating…" Shakily, the boy started eating, the first few bites tasting odd in his mouth. After a while, the food began feeling comfortable in his stomach and Tsunayoshi relaxed.

Beside him, unnoticed by the content boy, Kimihiro smiled. From there, the rest of the table's occupants similarly settled and the room was filled with introductory conversations and small talk.

"This here is my loud son, Takeshi. Introduce yourself, Son."

"Uhm, I like playing sports and being with friends. Oh, and I go to Namimori Elementary!"

"It's nice to see such energetic children, Tsuyoshi-san. I also see you haven't lost your touch when it comes to the kitchen, despite the years."

"Hah! Doumeki! Now what? There's nothing left for you to steal!"

"Mm."

"Ph-phfwat? Don't just take something right out of my hands, you—you!"

"So what's your name? I'm Takeshi, and I'm seven years old!"

"Oh, uhm…I-I know… Uh… I'm Tsunayoshi…"

"Can I just call you Tsuna?"

"Ah…"

"Great! I don't get to bring friends over here that often, so it's great you're here, Tsuna!"

Before long, the food was finished and Kimihiro hurried to help his host clean up, as thanks. Yet, it was impossible to notice the light atmosphere gradually sink as more and more eyes turned towards Tsunayoshi, the biggest curiosity in the room. As it was, the child wasn't completely dense. Sinking into his chair, it was clear he was nervous for what was to come.

"So, Tsunayoshi-kun, now that that is finished... what questions do you have for me?" It was Yuuko that spoke, and in the same sly tone she used with all of her customers.

Before Tsunayoshi could panic however, the older man—Takeshi's father—spoke up. "How about we take this to the living room? Much more comfortable over there." Calmly, with a smile towards the young boy, he stood up and led the guests to the cozy room.

Kimihiro wiped his wet hands on a towel and made to follow them, before a hand on his wrist held him back. "Wha…" He turned around to see Doumeki, his serious visage a bit more serious than normal. Kimihiro bit back his usual overblown reaction and raised his eyebrow. Without releasing his arm, Doumeki pulled him back towards the kitchen, signaling he wanted a quick conversation. As he reluctantly followed, Kimihiro called out with a hint of annoyance, "Sorry Yuuko-san, just a moment."

Once behind the doors of the kitchen, Kimihiro pulled his arm out of Doumeki's grip and crossed them. "Before we start, why are you here anyway, Doumeki?" Seeing the annoying jerk definitely wasn't his idea of great start of the day.

Doumeki gave him a look, specifically, the 'are-you-stupid?' look, and pointed to his eye. "Well yeah, Doumeki, I'm not stupid," Kimihiro twitched, "But _why_ did you come and how?" Kimihiro paused and scowled. "Wait, don't tell me Yuuko brought you along just to annoy me. Dang it, I knew she liked you…"

Barely restraining a roll of his eyes, Doumeki replied, "I asked Yuuko and I came since I could tell you got yourself into a situation again."

Kimihiro exploded into a rant, "A situation? I got myself into a situation—again? It was a car crash! A bus! Situation…! And how many _situations _do you think were your fault in the first—" Doumeki didn't even bat an eyelash at the tirade, but it did have the unfortunate consequence of calling Yuuko's attention.

"Boys! My patience is dwindling. Kiss and make up on your own time." Yuuko's teasing left Kimihiro bright red in furious denial, but did the job as they both headed towards the living room. Before they left the veil of privacy though, Doumeki set a hand on Kimihiro's shoulder.

"Watanuki. If that boy is being pursued…" Briefly meeting the taller boy's gaze, Kimihiro seemed to shrug off both the hand and the warning.

But then he replied evenly, "Don't worry. I can take care of myself." He paused. "…and if I can't, that's what you're here for, right?" Doumeki clearly wasn't convinced and his eyes promised another conversation in the future. Yet, with those words, they entered the living room.

It was decorated in the traditionally Japanese style, which was probably the source of the curious look on Tsunayoshi's face. Tsunayoshi seemed to be extremely fascinated by the room (translation: avoiding Yuuko's knowing gaze). When Kimihiro sat down on the cushion beside him, the boy squeaked. Even as Kimihiro began apologizing, hurriedly standing up, and Tsunayoshi just rapidly shook his head in panic, Yuuko just smiled and politely coughed. "Watanuki—He was just surprised." Yuuko shot him a pointed stare and Kimihiro quickly sat down, both boys wearing identical flushed faces.

Amused, Tsuyoshi commented, "They're a bit similar aren't they?"

Yuuko laughed, replying as if Kimihiro wasn't in the room and bristling at Yuuko's attitude. "Oh, Watanuki's just nervous. He doesn't want to startle Tsunayoshi-kun." Her eyes slid to said boy, his brown eyes surprised and his mouth open round at her explanation. Shooting a timid glance at Kimihiro, Tsunayoshi wondered if it was true.

Then their eyes met and for once, Tsunayoshi didn't immediately look down and away. Any side conversations that were going on quieted, and just as suddenly as they did, did the questions begin.

It was something Tsunayoshi should've asked from the very beginning, but he had been scared. And yet, he had felt safe at the same time. Tsunayoshi was confused.

"Where…am I?"

It was such a vague question. For a moment, Kimihiro looked alarmed (did Tsunayoshi lose his memory or something?), but then the boy quickly amended, "I-I mean…why am I here? Who are you? Where…" Unconsciously, Tsunayoshi fisted his hands and bit his lip. "Where…is Mama? Where is home?"

Tsunayoshi felt so far away from his home. Surrounded by all these merry people when it was usually just him and Mama. The nervous tension that filled the air as opposed to the comfortable warmth of his home. Everything had changed…far too quickly.

* * *

Kimihiro was nervous. Of course, he made his decision and he'll stick to it, but only a blind man would think he wasn't nervous. Blind and deaf, because every one of his heartbeats sounded louder than a gong to his ears.

With the raging blood in his veins and his frantic thoughts, he could hardly tell what was going on in front of him. Still, Kimihiro forced himself to focus. If Tsunayoshi was going to be in his care from now on, even if only for a while, he had to pay attention to this important moment.

So he focused his gaze on Yuuko, just in time to hear her reply to that loaded question.

"You are currently in the home of Yamamoto Tsuyoshi in Namimori. Your home is where it's always been and the house your parents owned is not quite safe for you to be in at the moment." The bland smile on her face did not change as she gave her vague answer, but everyone noticed what she hadn't mentioned.

"And…Mama?" Tsunayoshi was shaking and his hands were scrunched up in tiny fists. Kimihiro wondered if the boy already knew; after all, he had been there in the bus.

Yuuko seemed to think along the same lines, although she lacked the sense of moral tact Kimihiro had. "You already know, don't you?"

"Yuuko-san!" He hissed.

Yet, Tsunayoshi, still shaking, met the smiling woman's gaze and murmured his answer, curling up slightly. "She's…not here…"

Kimihiro froze, the unfortunate wording making him gulp, before turning and grasping Tsunayoshi's shoulder. "No, wait—I mean, yeah, she's not here, _here_—but she's not!—I mean, your Mama—!" Kimihiro took a much needed breath before continuing his explanation, a little less frantic. "Your mama is in the hospital and she's hurt, but she'll get better. She'll be back." He tried to bury the uncertainty in his voice. Once again, Kimihiro deeply regretted not being able to get the mother's name. But perhaps Tsunayoshi would know…? It was a question to be asked at a later time.

Kimihiro didn't notice the almost sad, but pleased smile on Yuuko's face or how he had taken over the answering of the questions. Instead, Kimihiro simply watched Tsunayoshi's wide eyes and continued. "Until we can make sure you're safe, I'm going to look after you. There might be…" He glanced at Yuuko, but she only looked back. "…There are some bad people looking for you, so we have to be careful that you're safe. But we'll do our best to get you back to your family, safe and sound, 'kay?" He gave a nervous laugh, but was surprised into silence when Tsunayoshi smiled back.

'_Did I do that right?'_ Kimihiro let out a quiet sigh of relief. It had been awkward, nervous, but he got it out and Tsunayoshi smiled. Now then…what was next…

Tsuyoshi spoke up with a small smile. "Well, first thing to do is to find said family. Tsunayoshi-kun, can you tell us your family name?"

The boy blinked and shyly answered, "Ano…Sa-wa-da. My name is Sawada Tsu-na-yo-shi." It was undeniably adorable how Tsunayoshi slowly enunciated his name.

Tsuyoshi grinned. "That's great! Hey, can you write it down right here?" He pulled out a notepad and grabbed a pen off the low table before handing it to the boy. Biting his lip, Tsunayoshi scooted forward and carefully wrote the kanji down after a moment of consideration.

沢田綱吉

Tsuyoshi keenly gazed at the characters before nodding and ripping the sheet out. Passing it to Kimihiro, Tsuyoshi asked his next question, "Alright, and do you know where your dad is? Was he in the bus as well?"

Kimihiro spotted an opportunity and quickly added, "And would you happen to know your mother's name as well? Or your father's?" Tsunayoshi started to look a little overwhelmed and Kimihiro tried to backtrack, although it seemed Yuuko had it in hand.

"Now, now, let the boy speak. Don't rush him." With a smile sent at Tsunayoshi that seemed to only make him nervous, she gestured for him to start.

"Uhm…" Tsunayoshi's hand wavered over the paper for a moment before he hesitantly scrawled down a name in hiragana. 沢田なな "Ano, Mama's name is Sa-wa-da Na-na."

"Papa…" After a pause, the boy shook his head. "N-no…he wasn't in the bus…" His voice was quiet, but audible. "Uhm…Papa…" Tsunayoshi looked like he was thinking hard. "Mama said a long time ago…" Kimihiro wondered at the boy's definition of 'long', but kept listening. "…that Papa disappeared and became a star."

There was a pause, and then Kimihiro immediately felt a wave of sympathy for the boy. Yuuko murmured, "Oh, you poor boy." However, she was still smiling and Kimihiro couldn't help but look at her suspiciously because those words were not at all in character.

He was proven when not yet a second later, his employer brightened and clasped her hands together. "Oh, well that's settled then! There's no family for him to return to, he can't live safely on his own, his mother is still in the hospital, and you, Watanuki, are the boy's only hope! You agree to take care of him?"

"E-eh!" He sputtered, but then he felt Tsunayoshi shift and immediately switched his attention to him. The boy looked nervous, and Kimihiro felt that sympathy return. When he thought about it… Tsuyoshi was right about what he said earlier. He and Tsunayoshi were similar. Personalities aside, they both were chased by beings they didn't want to be chased by and their caretakers weren't their parents. Yet…Kimihiro had been a lonely child. Set apart because of the curse in his blood.

Looking upon Tsunayoshi, Kimihiro decided he wasn't going to let the same happen to this boy.

"Tsunayoshi-kun…If you're okay with it, I'll take care and keep you safe for as long as necessary until you find your family again," Kimihiro slowly questioned. He wasn't even finished speaking when Tsunayoshi nodded and leaned towards him, resting against Kimihiro's stilled body. The boy looked scared and solemn, but Tsunayoshi couldn't help but gravitate to the protective warmth Kimihiro exuded. Hesitantly and yet, gently, Kimihiro returned the hug. _'..it's what I promised your mama, after all.'_

* * *

It was an hour later when all loose ends had been tied and Yuuko, Doumeki, and Kimihiro with the addition of his new ward were ready to step through the _akake_.

Many conversations had taken place and plans ironed out. Kimihiro belatedly realized he had missed school that day (and somehow, it was his fault Doumeki was missing it as well), and that had led to the topic of Tsunayoshi's schooling.

"We'll touch upon that topic again once we figure out what caused the oddities in the crash."

"Hey Dad! Can Tsuna go to my school?"

"That's not my choice to make, Takeshi."

"Ano…" Judging from Tsunayoshi's wide eyes and shy, if nervous, smile, he had been quite flattered by Takeshi's request. Somehow that led to a scramble for the notepad again so Takeshi could give Tsunayoshi his house number and address. Kimihiro still wasn't sure what to make of the slightly sinister smile on Tsuyoshi's face when his arm swung around his shoulder and he noted, "We're going to have a set up a play-date for the boys sometime soon." One thing was for sure: suddenly it wasn't so odd that the man knew Yuuko anymore.

"Hmm, not sure how we're going to arrange that, though." Yuuko hummed thoughtfully. "It's quite lucky Doumeki is here for this ride or else the _akake_ would be a lot more troublesome, but it's not like we can drag him with us every time little Tsunayoshi-kun wants to see his friend… unless of course, Watanuki makes it worth his while…" Yuuko's eyes slyly cut towards Kimihiro's horrified face. _'She cannot be insinuating…!' _At once, Kimihiro's eyes glared at Doumeki with a gaze sharp enough to stab through the walls of space and time.

Doumeki immediately replied, "_Inarizushi_. Every day." For a breath of time, Kimihiro was relieved. _'…cooking. Right.' _ Then Kimihiro realized, _cooking. RIGHT. _

"You ba-j…jerk! You want me to make _Inarizushi_ for you every day? Find your own food! I'm not your personal slaving cook that comes bundled up with a lifetime warranty, equipped with a fast and easy _Inarizushi_ making machine that whirrs and ac-"

While Kimihiro ranted, Yuuko simply kneeled down and looked to Tsunayoshi with a smile. Like she wasn't even listening to the argument that consisted of weirdo movements and single word answers of "_Inarizushi_. _Inarizushi_. _Inarizushi_."

"So, Tsunayoshi-kun. Do you like Takeshi-kun?"

With a glance at the slightly older, beaming boy, Tsuna stuttered, "Y-yeah! Takeshi-kun…Takeshi-kun is my first person-friend!"

"Oh…?" Ignoring the odd prefix attached to 'friend', Yuuko continued. "So of course you want to visit and play with Takeshi; that's what friends do after all."

"Un!" Tsunayoshi agreed, nodding his head rapidly, oblivious to the effect of his statement.

In the background, Kimihiro silently sulked, clearly having heard the conversation and simultaneously remembering the sinister lilt of Tsuyoshi's words concerning his son's upcoming play-dates. "…Fine, idiot-Doumeki. _Inarizushi_."

Doumeki raised an eyebrow. "Every day?"

"Yes, everyday in your lunch already! Happy now?"

"Hn."

"Argggh! Mono-syllabic…! ….J-jerk!"

Once the plans for future visits were settled, Kimihiro kneeled down to explain to Tsunayoshi what to expect from the _akake_.

"M-Monsters…!" Tsunayoshi squeaked.

"Ah…! Well, not…really…? I mean…with Doumeki here," Kimihiro threw a resentful glare at the guy before grudgingly admitting, "none of the spirits will be brave enough to go anywhere near us. I'll hold you close and you can just shut your eyes and we'll be out of there quick as can be!" Kimihiro sent him a reassuring smile. "Then at the other end is this really weird shop! But it's full of interesting things and there's even this stupid black manju-bun, but he's not so bad. There are also these two girls that will probably love to play with you! Sound fun?"

Tsunayoshi nervously bit his lip, something Kimihiro noted he should probably break the boy out of before it became a bad habit, and then slowly gave a smile, bolstered by Kimihiro's own enthusiasm as he spoke of the magical shop. "Y-yes!" Off to the side, Yuuko quirked a smile, knowing her little part-timer didn't even notice the zeal in his words.

"Then, it's time to be off." Yuuko opened the door to the storage closet of the Yamamoto household, temporarily converted into the entrance of the _akake_. The gateway looked dark and foreboding. If Kimihiro had to describe it, he'd say just imagine a portal to hell. At first, blobs of darkness seemed to surge up and Kimihiro instinctively associated them with leeching, malevolent spirits. Then Doumeki stepped forward, casually sliding in front of Kimihiro and the creatures abruptly dissolved and fled, as if in fear.

Tsunayoshi popped his head out from where he had been hiding behind Kimihiro. "T-that's…?"

Kimihiro restrained a gulp and tried to put on a calm face. "Yup." Without further ado, Kimihiro gently grabbed Tsunayoshi's hand and stood up. He turned back and faced the family of two sending them off. Bowing deeply, Kimihiro thanked them again, hiding a smile when he saw Tsunayoshi clumsily copy him.

"Ah, wait just a sec'!" Suddenly, Takeshi parted from his bemused father and ran up to the second floor of his house. Kimihiro blinked and glanced at Yuuko, but she only adopted a mildly curious face. Before Kimihiro could wonder any further, footsteps signaled the boy's return. It was soon followed by the mildly heart attack inducing sight of Takeshi jumping over the banister to his father's amusement.

"Yo, Tsuna! You almost forgot this!" Before Kimihiro could get a good glance at it, Takeshi jumped forward and swung something bright over Tsunayoshi's head.

"E-eh?"

At Tsunayoshi's surprised squeak, Takeshi only laughed and explained, "I knew something was missing!"

The boy moved aside, finally allowing Kimihiro a good look. Blinking, he commented, "Oh, right!" Messily draped over the boy's shoulders and trailing on the floor was the long orange scarf the boy had come to their doorstep bundled up in. "The bright color suits you, Tsunayoshi-kun." Despite his compliment however, the boy didn't really seem to hear Kimihiro.

Concerned, Kimihiro furrowed his eyebrows and knelt forward. "What's wrong?"

The boy was staring at the scarf, but tore his gaze away at the other's words. "Ano…" Tsunayoshi shook his head shyly. Still, Kimihiro thought he heard Tsunayoshi whisper, "I almost forgot it…"

Kimihiro knew there was more, but he wasn't going to push the boy. It was already amazing how much trust the child had in him; he didn't need to try for more. "Well, I don't remember if the portal was cold last time, but let's not risk it. I'll help you tie it, okay?" With Tsunayoshi's shy agreement, Kimihiro deftly wrapped the fluffy scarf around the boy, smiling at the adorable picture his charge made.

"Alright; all set." As he stood back up, he was pleasantly surprised with a touch on his hand. Glancing down, he saw Tsunayoshi shyly look away, but before the boy could retract his hand, Kimihiro firmly clasped theirs together with a reassuring smile. "Ready? Stick close to me and close your eyes if you get scared." The grip got tighter and Tsunayoshi buried his face in Kimihiro's leg, but nodded all the same.

Yuuko smiled. "In that case, goodbye Tsuyoshi-san, Takeshi-kun. Until next time, ne?" Doumeki added his own farewell grunt before a kick from Kimihiro got him bowing in sync with the other teenager one more time.

Tsuyoshi chuckled good-naturedly and bowed back. "It's no problem." From there, Takeshi quickly launched a "Bye-bye, Tsuna! Have lots of fun!"

Kimihiro could practically feel the boy's blush as Tsunayoshi peered back and whispered, "Bye-bye…"

As some final words were exchanged between Yuuko and Tsuyoshi, Doumeki gestured for Kimihiro to begin entering the _akake, _already in it himself_. _At that point, Yuuko stepped away from the sushi-maker and sent Kimihiro a subtle glance. It read 'Are you ready?' Kimihiro stared at her for a moment before turning to the portal. After a soft look at Tsunayoshi, he braced himself and pointedly stepped into the portal.

The witch received her answer. And with that, a mysterious smile lit her face and she too, entered the portal.

As her foot left the hardwood floor and disappeared into the inky darkness, the very space that was the _akake_ seemed to unravel and fold itself before the eyes of the Yamamoto household. Threads of darkness disappeared into the very fabric of space and the bright red of Yuuko's dress was shrouded and muddled into a deep maroon. The last sight seen was her hair twisting in the air until, as if sucked into a vacuum, the darkness bled away like it was never there at all. Left in its place was the dim, worn closet as it had always been.

_Creak…creak…_

The only thing to tell otherwise was a gently swaying light bulb held precariously by its rusty, old wire.

* * *

**A/N:** God…you don't know how long it took me to figure out how Haruka addresses Watanuki. I dug through like 20 episodes until I finally found it in Shunmuki. So it wasn't hard to find Haruka calling him 'Watanuki Kimihiro-kun' when they're introduced, but like, is it Watanuki-kun or Kimihiro-kun? Took a while.

Okay. I'm really sorry that so many people like this story and had to wait months for this chapter. It wasn't even that long or that interesting…xD, I had the first half done in like January…then slumped trying to write Tsuna. He's not as easy as you'd think, being a cute little kid…_that's surrounded by strangers._ Don't worry. He's going to have a panic attack next chapter.

**Tanuki:** A raccoon/dog creature in Japanese myths. Like a raccoon, they have rings around their eyes (which can be compared to…Gaara? I think that was what I was going to say, but I was kind of confused 'cause I opened this document up like 5 months after I started writing that sentence 'which can be compared to-')  
**沢田綱吉 **does mean **Sawada Tsunayoshi**. I figured he'd know how to write his kanji name by 6, but wasn't sure about his mom so I just used hiragana. Tried to confirm this with my Japanese friends but they wouldn't give me a straight answer so I just stuck to hiragana and now use the excuse of Dame-Tsuna ;).  
_**Inarizushi**_ is tofu stuff. Okay here's a more detailed explanation from the internet: "Basically, _Inarizushi_ is a fried tofu skin (_aburaage_) that's been cooked in a sweet-soy sauce based sauce, drained then stuffed with sushi rice." It's homey sushi not usually found in sushi restaurants and Doumeki's favorite seeing how often he requests it.  
**Namimori Elementary** is not a very original name, but I didn't think I needed one. On the other hand, I made a mistake in chapter one by saying Tsuna was in preschool when it's actually first grade. Changing that right now. Sorry if it shows up on the alerts.  
**Black Manju-bun **refers to Mokona. Manju is A Japanese wheat bun which is filled with something and then steamed. I believe the nickname was coined by Kurogane in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and sincerely hope you review and give me some advice, opinions, support, or whatever you're willing to give! =). It's really quite hard to decide where to move the story too, and I bet some of you guys had a better idea of how to present this chapter than I did, haha.

Thanks for reading! Next chapter by Christmas me hopes! I'm planning for emotional drama, the shop, a customer, and school. If I have time, the hospital. In the mean time, I think it's time to give Vice and Versa some love…

**-ShadowTacticianVI**


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